(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

Eman Alali as Mona
Nadia Nadif as Shaden
Mona Khaouli as Etel
Vian Rajazbadeh as Donia

Writer and 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