rising star

The queer breakout star of boot camp drama ‘Eismayer’ sure has us standing at attention

By · 8 comments · Updated on January 26, 2024
Luka Dimić in “Eismayer,’ Image Credit: Dark Star Pictures

It was over a year ago that we first heard about Eismayer, a gay boot camp drama from Austria that had us standing at attention.

From writer-director David Wagner, the film tells the true story of an Austrian Armed Forces lieutenant who fell in love with one of his recruits.

In the titular role is Gerhard Liebmann, playing the hard-nosed instructor who has developed quite a reputation at the barracks for being demanding and pitiless. He also happens to be deeply closeted, keeping the secret from everyone—including his wife and young son.

But there’s a new arrival at the barracks, an openly gay recruit named Mario Falak (Luka Dimić), who manages to get under Eismayer’s skin and begins to chip away at his rigid exterior.

Eismayer had its world premiere in September 2022 at the Venice International Film Festival, and has played at fests around the globe in the year since, racking up critical acclaim and a number of awards along the way.

Now, it’s finally playing in select U.S. theaters courtesy of Dark Star Pictures—and is slated to hit digital platforms on October 10—so you’ll be able to check it our for yourself.

Many reviews out of the festivals have rightfully singled out Liebmann’s terrific, layered performance. A prolific and respected Austrian character actor, his work’s not especially well known in the U.S., so the role represents his long-overdue international breakthrough.

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But just as impressive is his younger co-star, Dimić, who capably holds his own against the veteran actor and sells us on Falak’s emotional arc—one that can be hard to believe, but is very much true!

Though their relationship starts off brutally antagonistic, there’s a raw, undeniable chemistry between the two—a dialogue-free scene where the men shower next to one another will have you on the edge of your seat.

Eismayer can hardly keep his eyes off Falak, and thanks to Dimić’s confident and charming performance, you won’t be able to either.

What can we say? This man is handsome.

The 37-year-old Dimić escaped the Yugolsavian War as a child and grew up in Germany. It’s there he discovered his passion for acting, eventually pursuing it through his studies at Konrad Wolf University of Film and Television in Potsdam.

Though his work is primarily in the world of theater, he’s appeared in a number of European film and television roles in the past decade, including the 2013 short film Zima, for which he earned a Best Actor award at a German international film fest known as Sehsüchte.

Related:

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And, in 2021, Dimić was part of the #ActOut social movement, in which over 185 German LGBTQ+ actors collectively came out and called for greater visibility of the community in theater, film, and television roles. By signing the manifesto, he and his colleagues bravely took a stand for diversity and inclusivity in an industry still lagging behind the times.

With his good looks, acting chops, and willingness to stand up for our community, Dimić is definitely an actor we hope to see a lot more of in the future.

In honor of Eismayer‘s American theatrical release, check out a few of our favorite snapshots from his Instagram below:

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