Gabriel (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Gabriel is a 10-minute German drama short centered on a young altar boy whose encounter with the devil forces a confrontation between religious devotion and non-normative sexuality. Felix Hertneck directs from a screenplay by Hertneck and Ali Kneer, with Nils Thalmann and Emil von Schönfels in the cast.

Gabriel is a 2026 German drama short about faith, sexuality and the pressure created when personal identity appears to conflict with religious belief. Its central figure is a young altar boy who encounters the devil during a foot-washing ritual.

Written by Ali Kneer and Felix Hertneck, the film places devotion, shame, intimacy and acceptance in close proximity. With a runtime of 10 minutes, Gabriel presents its subject through a compact dramatic premise rather than an expansive narrative.

Gabriel movie details

Story without spoilers

The story follows a young altar boy during a foot-washing ritual. When the devil appears, the encounter brings his non-normative sexuality into direct tension with his faith. Gabriel frames this conflict through ideas of devotion, dominance, ecstasy and shame, while also connecting those feelings to a desire for intimacy and acceptance.

The supplied synopsis establishes a psychological and spiritual confrontation, but does not reveal how the encounter develops or resolves. The film’s focus is the character’s struggle to reconcile aspects of himself that he has been taught to view as incompatible.

What to expect

Gabriel is identified as a drama and short film, so viewers can expect a focused story built around a single supernatural encounter and an internal conflict involving religion and sexuality. The devil functions as a central element of the premise, while the foot-washing ritual provides the setting for the story’s confrontation.

The film’s 10-minute runtime suggests a concise presentation of its ideas. Its subject matter includes faith, non-normative sexuality, shame, intimacy and acceptance, with the synopsis also highlighting devotion, dominance and ecstasy. No further details about its visual approach, tone or ending are supplied.

Cast and creative team

Felix Hertneck directs Gabriel and co-wrote the screenplay with Ali Kneer. The cast includes Nils Thalmann and Emil von Schönfels. No character names are provided for either performer.

• Nils Thalmann
• Emil von Schönfels

Release and production context

Gabriel is a German production from Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München. It is listed as released in 2026, with a release date of October 21, 2026. The film has a runtime of 10 minutes and is spoken in German. Its original title is Gabriel empfindet Lust.

Production companies: Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München

Movies Dock view

With its brief runtime and concentrated premise, Gabriel addresses the meeting point of religious devotion, sexuality and the need for acceptance through a supernatural drama framework. The available details position it as a tightly focused short rather than a broad, multi-character story.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb