Elias Brenneisen: Everybody Needs Something To Believe In

By just putting yourself out there, you will be rewarded with people around you that shine bright and who will help you thrive even more – Berlin-based dancer and model Elias Brenneisen belongs to a new generation of fearless queer human being. Member of the cast of our music video for The Irrepressibles’ Ecstasy Homosexuality, we asked Elias to share his story on finding his identity and confidence in Berlin, the importance of role models, and the magical effects on one’s life of keeping it casually sexy.

How has your journey in the queer community shaped who you are today?

To be really fair, without the queer community I wouldn’t be who I am today. I was fortunate enough to have moved to Berlin at 16 years old to study ballet and thus could embrace my queerness quite early on, in safe spaces a lot of us queers normally don’t have growing up. This privilege allowed me to learn from a young age on to be confident with my femininity & gayness. The queer media I consume as well as the queer human beings around me, shaped my personality, style, interests, and more. Most importantly it made me think beyond boundaries, to get creative. The minute I really understood what it means to be part of a minority and live as your true authentic self in a not-sot-accepting world, I started to realize how important it is to fight for equality for all of us. What I am trying to say here is that my queerness made me try to be a social, understanding, reflective & empathetic human being. And the queer scene in Berlin also gave me wonderful friends who obviously have an impact on my life. Cheers to my queers! 

What do you think, why can the scene in Berlin be a source of controversy?

In my point of view, a lot of the judgment towards our queer Berlin lifestyle comes from the extremes that are on display here. To be fair, some Berlin queers can be rude, over-sexualizing and abusive. But we should not forget, they’re only a minority and can’t spoil the beauty that is the freedom of self expression in this city.

Can you share a personal experience that really left a mark on you?

A core memory of mine is my first “Lunchbox Candy” party at Aeden, a club in Kreuzberg. I entered that space not knowing what to expect. It made me realize that by just putting yourself out there, you will be rewarded with people around you that shine bright and who will help you thrive even more.  That doesn’t mean that you need to like everything you see. It’s more about observing people being themselves and afterwards getting inspired to continuously take steps towards a more authentic way of living. A nice add-on is that queers party best. Mama, let’s shake some ass together!

What part of the music video for “Ecstasy Homosexuality” made you feel the most lustful?

I think lust is a good keyword here. Sex plays a huge role in many queer people’s lives, and our music video touches on this. I love a sex-positive and flirtatious attitude, but to me, that never means stepping over boundaries, not to mention actually having sexual intercourse. A sexy mood just brings a certain lightness to a lot of situations, and at the end of the day, it’s fun, too. Being on set and constantly flirting and laughing with my co-stars in the music video was a joy to witness and experience. One moment that stays with me till this day is our dinner scene in which we ate from each other’s bodies and flirted hardcore. That’s what I call queerness-overload!

Who is your personal queer icon and inspiration, and why?

I feel like, as queer human beings, we seek role models through our lives to find both inspiration and comfort because society doesn’t provide us with much visibility. It is hard to highlight a role model here, but if I’d need to pick one queer icon that shaped my journey drastically, it would be Troye Sivan. To me, he was the first male figure who embraced his feminine side and got celebrated for it, which at the time, was new to me. Seeing him now evolving into a much bigger pop icon, as well as seeing all the people who slept on him going to his concerts brings me joy, and shows me that continuously putting yourself out there and having faith will eventually pay off.

You just signed to Love Talents, Container Love’s new service representing diverse creators from all over the world. What are some of the future projects that you are the most excited about?

To me, a project becomes exciting the minute I feel passionate about it. You stand behind the outcome, you feel like you can grow from the project or you’re thrilled to collaborate with someone. There are some cool things coming my way, starting with being a new member of the Container Love family. Next up is a live performance with Candy Crash, one of Berlin’s most beautiful drag queens, at this year’s Munich Pride (2024). It has been a challenge to choreograph for such a gig but I am insanely hyped to perform with her and my former showgirl colleague, Daniel Hoek on stage soon. Other than that I am going to be part of this season’s Berlin Fashion Week but to what extent is yet unclear due to certain casting procedures still taking place. One thing certain though is my return to the world’s largest theater stage of the Friedrichstadt Palast Berlin next season, August 24 to July 25, where I’ll perform almost every day in our show called Falling in Love. How could I say no to my little pumps?!

How does your queer identity influence your creative process?

To me, art is a personal asset to showcase myself, my journey, and the way I see the world around me. Art can push people to reflect, re- or overthink life. In my case, I tap into my BIPOC queer experience, and how that shapes my perspectives on life. And let’s face it: queer people just make cunty art, what can I say?

Elias’ interview is part of our special, Beyond Lust, celebrating queer love and liberation with Container Love’s latest film: the music video for the song by The Irrepressibles, Ecstasy Homosexuality. Check out Love Talents, our special roster of diverse creators represented by Container Love!

Photography Anil Ayhan, Talent Elias Brenneisen