The Good American

Directed by Jochen Hick

Jochen Hick's film portrays Tom Weise, the producer of the HustlaBall, ­an event originally created in order to encourage the acceptance of male prostitutes, but also to launch a rent boy website. After his parents split and, having lost all contact with them, this slightly-built former student of politics decides to go to New York at the beginning of the 1990s. Being virus-positive, he is obliged to live in the USA illegally. In fact, according to the law, he cannot even pay a visit to this country. At first Tom has a hard time eking out a living as an escort. Unable to earn enough money, he winds up on the streets without a roof over his head. In the end, he succeeds in helping Jeffrey Davis set up an internet page, rentboy.com, which, ten years later, becomes the largest website for escorts. Increasingly beset by health issues, loneliness and drug abuse, in 2006 Tom eventually finds someone with whom he can share his life. He and his African-American partner decide to go to Berlin.