A special Queer Pioneers edition in collaboration with International Queer & Migrant Film Festival (IQMF). Prior to this film, QP curator Renske Diks will talk with Lebanese drag queen Emma Gration.
Layla
It's not easy to navigate between the two completely different worlds that Layla is part of. Lalyla is a non-binary, English-Palestinian drag queen who can be completely herself in London's vibrant nightlife. Things are very different in her parents' home. Layla's parents know of nothing and still call their child by their birth name, Latif. One day, after a performance at a corporate party, Layla meets Max, a respectable office worker, a white, seemingly heterosexual man. But appearances can be deceiving, and soon the two are involved in a passionate but secret and therefore particularly complex romance. Then Max invites Layla to meet his parents...
In this compelling debut film, British-Iraqi-Egyptian filmmaker Amrou Al-Kadhi, who also performs as a drag artist under the stage name Glamrou, shows what it means to be queer. The result is a beautiful and authentic drama, made even more beautiful by the spectacular drag performances, including those of lead actor Bilal Hasna. An ode to the queer community and to queer joy.
