Boys Don’t Melt

Niels van Heijningen received a grant to develop a new film. In Boys Don’t Melt, Niels explores the physical tension experienced by young men who long for closeness but remain trapped in outdated ideas of masculinity. During this development phase, he is working on the screenplay and the physical visual language for a short, sensory film without dialogue — in which touch is not a given, but a battleground. The film delves into the inability to share affection freely and openly.

Niels is a creator with a bold and idiosyncratic voice. Fascinated by the unpredictability of human behaviour, he searches in his work for the moments when seemingly opposing forces can coexist. His background in theatre merges with his love for film, as he investigates the power of physical closeness and captures the tension in what remains unsaid. Niels’ work is a search for new forms of vulnerability and connection, in which he both challenges and dismantles the conventions surrounding masculinity.