When Boys Fly - A-
By Kage Alan

“When Boys Fly” is a documentary about 4 individuals who are introduced and then filmed as they journey to, attend and leave a circuit party in Miami, Florida. While this type of piece could easily be used as propaganda either for or against such events, the filmmakers go to great lengths to make sure both sides are presented, but also that each character’s experiences are given fairly and unabashedly.

The first participant is Tone, a 21-year-old biology student who spends the majority of his life frequenting the circuit parties, drinking and doing drugs. His reason for going to Miami; he wants to prove to himself that he can cut back and not go wild with the drugs. The second person is Brandon, a 23-year-old conservative college student who maintains a healthy lifestyle, shares a closeness with his mother many would be proud of and who’s never been to a circuit party before. He heads to Miami to come out of his shell a little and see what that aspect of the gay world is all about. Boyfriends Todd and Jon are next. Todd, 35, came out late in life and has been enjoying sewing his wild oats ever since. He’s cheated on all of his boyfriends, including 19-year-old Jon, and states he knows the difference between love and sex. Jon, meanwhile, thinks that’s a load of horse manure and goes to the circuit party because Todd told him that he (Jon) would be the most important thing that entire weekend.

There’s grief, sorrow, joy, fulfillment, discovery and betrayal to be found in these 60 minutes. A few of the striking revelations presented is that some of the people who attend the circuit parties are Ivy League graduates, others are doctors, some are people who enjoy the closeness of being around other gay men, some want to do drugs and have sex nonstop and yet there are those who just want to feel a part of something larger than themselves. Instead of the stereotypical shallow buff bodied partygoers, we’re presented with a bit more depth than we’re perhaps used to or comfortable with. “When Boys Fly” is a must-see for anyone even remotely curious as to why so many people are drawn to the circuit parties and what they can expect if they should ever decide to attend one.