CARNAL NATION

There's a thin line between love and hate. This is the theme explored by the Danish film Broderskab (Brotherhood), which took the top honors at the Rome Film Festival. The film, by first-time director Nicolo Donato, explores the contradictions of two neo-Nazi skinheads who begin a love affair even as they carry out violent raids against homosexuals. As the tension mounts, the secret gay lovers are found out by the other members of the group and must endure the fallout. This is the first film by Donato, a 35-year-old former fashion photographer, who was presented with his award by Oscar-winning director Milos Forman. Watch the trailer for the film after the jump.

As the Advocate points out, the selection of Broderskab as the winner of the jury prize was particularly timely as Rome has recently been rocked by instances of homophobic violence. On October 10, more than 50,000 protesters took to the streets of the Italian capital to protest 8 murders of gay people and 52 known violent attacks against gay people. Less than a week later, the Italian Senate rejected a bill that would have protected gays and lesbians from hate crimes. The United Nations has criticized the vote as a step backward for human rights.