'High Tide' Is A Tender Gay Drama That's Rooted In A Real-Life Love Story

Marco Pigossi proves his leading man credentials in the new movie, written and directed by his husband, Marco Calvani.

Those who associate Provincetown, Massachusetts with drag shows and late-night dance parties may be surprised by the LGBTQ+ resort community’s subdued appearance in “High Tide,” filmmaker Marco Calvani’s new romantic drama.

Though Calvani always wanted to set his film in Provincetown, known colloquially as “P-Town” and located on the northernmost tip of Cape Cod, he was adamant that it take place at summer’s end, when the crowds of out-of-town visitors have begun to dwindle.

“Provincetown is a privileged place, even geographically. You need to be able to get there, and you need to have money to stay there,” he told HuffPost ahead of his movie’s Monday screening at NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ+ film festival. “We’re living in vulnerable times for our communities [and] this is a story about two people on the margins who feel lost in today’s America. So it’s very melancholic.”

Opening in theaters Friday in New York and next week in Los Angeles, “High Tide” centers on Brazilian emigrant Lourenço (played by Marco Pigossi, Calvani’s real-life husband), who is grappling with a recent breakup and the uncertainty of his future in Provincetown and the U.S., with his tourist visa set to expire.

Growing despondent, Lourenço crashes in a shabby cottage owned by his ex’s pal, Scott (Bill Irwin), and takes on under-the-table jobs that include assisting Miriam (Marisa Tomei), a local artist who’s divorced, with home repairs. And though he’s content with casual hookups at first, he finds himself at an emotional crossroads after a chance meeting with Maurice (James Bland), a Black doctor from New York, on the beach.