Middle-Eastern American STORIES
The films on this page focus heavily on the experiences of LGBTQ Americans of Middle-Eastern descent.
To find these resources through your local library, please use the invaluable Worldcat.org and search by Title or Director or use the search box below!
Act of Faith. Dir. Daniel Bree, 2006. 7 minutes
This very short film examines three very different Muslim men’s relationships with their Muslim faith and how they’ve struggled to live as openly gay men because of the cultural and religious disapproval. One has given up his faith altogether, as he was unable to reconcile faith and sexuality. The others have complicated relationships with both. The film doesn’t provide and answers to this dissonance – indeed, no film of any length likely ever could. Instead, this short production functions as a firm “we are here” announcement and a powerful encouragement to the religious establishment to modernize its thinking on contemporary issues.
Appropriate Behavior. Dir. Desiree Akhavan, 2014. 84 minutes
Hilariously and completely inappropriately, this engaging indie comedy explores the unique tribulations in the life of Shirin, a directionless Brooklynite struggling to navigate: dating as a modern bisexual woman, professional limbo, moving on and growing from a tumultuous breakup, and wrestling with how to come out as bisexual to her Persian family. Besides its wicked sense of humor, the strengths of this movie lie in its disinterest in cliché, its utterly lived-in, believable relationships between family, friends, and lovers, as well as the fresh perspective offered by the director/star on living at so many intersections of culture, ethnicity, and sexuality. Shirin is pulled in more directions than it seems she can bear but in the end, though nothing is “solved,” the viewer is left with the impression that Shirin will be able to handle what life throws at her next – she’s growing, as all queer people must, in order to survive and thrive. A must-see…for mature audiences.
I Exist. Dir. Peter Barbosa and Garrett Lenoir, 2003. 55 minutes
Through a series of empowering and insightful interviews, this documentary explores the experiences of gays and lesbians in Middle Eastern communities. One of the great strengths of this film is its diversity of representation and perspective. Heartbreaking stories of being excommunicated from family are balanced by accounts of families who have been brought closer by a family member coming out. The result is bittersweet but ultimately very affirming, amplifying the voices of people who have largely been invisible in media representation.