(2023, UK, 12 MIN)

Mona, a young woman in London, finds old photographs of Arab women cross-dressing in the 1920s. Somewhere between her fantasies and reality, she starts a feverish journey of uncovering lost histories and her own identity.

Through a coming-of-age narrative the film explores the euphoric relationship those who are marginalised create with images and symbols, and how archive images can be a portal for the world of inner projections, creating meaning and grounding one's identity.

POSTER CREDITS:  DESIGN BY LUCILE GAUVAIN, TITLES BY MINA MAURICE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIKA KOCHIASHVILI.

With Eman Alali as Mona

Nadia Nadif as Shaden

Mona Khaouli as Etel

Vian Rajazbadeh as Donia

Writer & Director - May Ziadé

Producer - Antonia Luxem 

Production Designer - Joelle Aoun

Director of Photography - Luciana Riso

Editor - Chiara Bellesia

Costume Designer – Imi Oztas

Hair and Makeup Artist – Ezana Ové

Composer - Layale Chaker

Sound Designer - Zhe Wu

Colorist - Mariam Latif

Executive Producer – Arij al-Soltan

Supported by - BFI NETWORK and British Council

Selected Screenings (FULL LIST IN CV)

• BFI Flare - London, UK March 2023

• AWAN Festival - London, UK March 2023

• Reference Point, 180 The Strand - London, UK May 2023

• Safar Film Festival - London & Manchester, UK screenings July 2023

• Soura Film Festival - Berlin, Germany August 2023

• Les Mains Gauches - Marseille, France September 2023

• Encounters Film Festival - Bristol, UK September 2023 National Competition

• Short Film Focus - London, UK September 2023

• Wimbledon Film Festival - London, UK September 2023

• MIX Milan - Milan, Italy September International Competition 

• Cineffable - Paris, France October 2023

• MIX Copenhagen - Copenhagen, Denmark October 2023 Lili Award Nominee

• HIQFF - Hamburg, Germany October International Competition 

• Mizna Arab Film Festival - Minneapolis, USA October 2023

• MENA Film Festival - Vancouver, Canada November 2023

• Meziprata - Prague & Brno, Czech Republic November 2023 Student Jury Award Special Mention

• Bizarre Paris - Paris, France November 2023 - special curation by Sido Lansari

• Set Film Festival - London, UK November 2023

• Queer Cinena for Palestine - London, UK December 2023

• London Short Film Festival (LSFF) - London, UK January 2023 National Competition