Please note: This was screened in Dec 2016
Filmed in the lead-up to the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, this engrossing documentary from Jake Witzenfeld is, according to the Telegraph, “redefining what it means to be gay, Arab and living in Israel”.
It follows the lives of three Palestinian friends exploring their national and sexual identity: there’s Khader, a Tel Aviv ‘darling’ from a prominent Muslim mafia family living with his Jewish boyfriend, Fadi, an ardent Palestinian nationalist confronted by guilt-ridden Jewish love and Naeem, who must confront his family with the truth about his sexuality. Meanwhile, a war is brewing…
Determined to make a change, the friends form a non-violent, cultural resistance group making viral content for gender and national equality. While their work may not change the world, it certainly helps them deal with the frustration of living with multi-faceted identities whilst they live with the ongoing threat of violence all around them.
Screening with short film In Overtime (Dir: Rami Yasin / '14 / 13mins / Palestine)
When 40-year-old Amir visits his ailing father in hospital intending to reveal a long held secret, the nature of their dysfunctional relationship gets in the way. As the two men battle out their differences, the tension mounts on Amir who finally withdraws and leaves. Blinded by rage and his galloping emotions, Amir finds himself stuck between guilt and a desperate need to race back to his father before it's too late.
Presented in partnership with Bristol Pride's Queer Vision.