gefangen ( lock up ) be a testy little german film that dare to push the envelope of nr rating and and give the concept of the story and the background of the writer or director jörg andreas make his first legitimate ( ie non porn ) movie and it succeed despite some technical shortcoming . no and it be not a film for those with issue concern same sex film and but for the target gay audience and for that audience eager to see innovative independent film make adventure and lock up be well worth watch . the setting be a prison somewhere in germany and the story begin with the handcuffed young credit card fraud criminal dennis ( marcel schlutt ) encounter his first entry into a prison . the tone of the film be set at the induction desk where dennis be strip and zealously inspect . by the eager prison guard . he be then place in a cell and begin his two year prison term . naturally the other prisoner ( all body builder ) on his bloc intimidate him into submission to their rule of the house . through his cell window dennis gaze on a fellow inmate and an african american hunk name mike ( mile sale ) and in prison for a fifteen year sentence for the murder of his wife and digging trench . they make eye contact and there be a mutual interest . gradually the two meet under the rigid time frame for the prisoner and talk and share coffee in mike room and and eventually respond to their mutual attraction . during one interlude they be observe by a guard envious of mike attention and affection for dennis . and a the routine prison drama go and the inmate polarize over the two men connection . dennis be brutally rap and talk into cooperate with the drug ring and but dennis grow love for mike be strong than the resistance of both inmate and prison official and they be eventually able to share a cell . dennis mother visit her son and encourage him and and arranges for a lawyer to gain a shortened term for dennis and a favor that dennis greets with mixed emotion and a he do not want to leave his lover mike a others have do . but in a tender scene mike convinces dennis that he be young and should accept the early release and an act of love that dennis finally accepts . dennis be release and but continue to visit mike whom he love and his love be reciprocate . the manner in which the film end be yet another act of sacrifice and love and be best left unsaid . both marcel schlutt and mike sale be handsome of face and body and spirit and the story benefit from their on screen chemistry . in an extended feature on the dvd each actor ( both openly gay ) discuss his approach to make the film and and a in the movie itself and these dialogue be in both german and english . the men speak frankly and bravely about their participation in gay porn movie and state the sex scene in the film be real time and not simulate . people will argue about the propriety of this but keep in mind the story and the director background and perhaps the film will be more readily view a an experimental genre . this be a different kind of love story and i think it work . grady harp .