Our Queer Lens program returns for another year, featuring the newest work by Sélim Mourad alongside three short films. Mourad's Moss Agate uses a unique styles to create a self described "ode to life, an exploration of death and rebirth, a poem about cinema" while the accompanying films explore the different relationships between queer people and their families.

﻿Co-presented by Alliance Française de San Francisco Beirut, summer 2019 The filmmaker experiences a descent into the abyss. His health is at stake and his film community is falling apart.His actress friend Tamara is the last one to leave. After his death, Tamara meets François, a man whom she falls in love with, yet memories of the past keep coming back to her.&nbsp;As they encounter a previous member of the community, they start playing with precious stones. They do not know their dance is sacred. Amethyst, ruby, agates pass like magic from hand to hand. Meanwhile, the filmmaker's mother gives birth to him again. He doesn’t remember much of his previous self, yet he starts a spiritual journey that will lead him back to Tamara. Both of them move to an unlikely place outside the city that they love. Rotterdam International Film Festival 2021 About the Filmmaker <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/b53b8ab055b042b327493459e5d29450.jpg" width="132" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Salim Mourad was born in Beirut in 1987. He did his bachelor and both master degrees in directing and film research in IESAV - Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut. His filmography is diverse and has included short personal documentaries like A letter to my sister (2008) in which he started his exploration of his family dynamics and A Trip to the barbershop (Yamagata Intl Film Fest 2009) as well as medium-length fictions like The demolition (2011) and X: the conception (2012) in which he mixes reality and fiction. His first feature documentary This Little Father Obsession (Visions du Réel 2016) that lives a beautiful festival life and deepens the filmmaker’s queer gaze on notions of procreation and transmission. And he has also created a political trilogy of the body: Linceul (2018), Cortex (2019) and Agate Mousse (2020) He is currently a film teacher in Beirut and is working on developing his next project.&nbsp; Co-presented by﻿<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/ea5eee6d5ae73047cb4dc8a5608ec2da.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; color: rgb(62, 62, 62); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">

Moss Agate

A visit to a cosmetic-surgery clinic and the discovery of a lump in his testicle and an abscess in his mouth confront a filmmaker with transience and decay.

A father gives his son a ride to the airport. The car stops working on the way,&nbsp;providing them with an opportunity to reconnect. About the Filmmaker <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/dfbe1e6ea19438fd744520758f67acfa.jpg" width="135" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Saleh Saadi is a Palestinian director and writer from Basmat Tab'un, born on July 6th, 1998.&nbsp;Saleh’s first short film Borekas (2020) was part of the Official Selection of the Palm Springs International ShortFest (2021), and Outfest (2021).&nbsp;His second short film A'lam (Flag), which he wrote, directed, and acted in, is in its post-production process (2021).&nbsp;

Borekas

A father gives his son a ride to the airport. The car stops working on the way.

Carole, a fifty-year-old woman is battling dementia. Her son, Elio, left everything in order to take care of her. Together, they will relive some of the moments that shaped their family. About the Filmmaker <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/fd7fddcd2350fbf12058bce39bc04c13.png" width="150" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Born in Beirut in 1998, Nadim Khoury finished&nbsp;his filmmaking studies in spring 2021. He is eager to showcase his talents and cultivate his skills as a filmmaker.&nbsp;

Missing Piece

A woman battling dementia and her son relive some of the moments that shaped their family.

Co-presented by Alliance Française de San Francisco Zaid, a young Arab-American amateur drag queen has to confront his conservative father and Alzheimer's grandfather about his identity on an average night gone terribly wrong. About the Filmmaker <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/6057a63f0ae0f077f966bfc4fec4544c.jpg" width="125" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Reem Jubran is a writer/director working between Palestine and Los Angeles, California in short and feature narratives. She is pursuing an M.F.A. in Directing/Writing from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television where she is directing her own short films after having worked two years as assistant director on Palestinian narrative features.​ She is inspired by women-led stories, flammable cultural taboos, and her identity as a transnational filmmaker. Her first feature in-development, “Sou-Sou '' was selected for Producer's Spotlight at the Palestine Pavilion, Cannes 2020 Marche du Film. She has a B.A. in Film Studies from UC Berkeley. Co-presented by﻿<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/0ea472d0d4b7b028fcc29f75e3e7353a.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; color: rgb(62, 62, 62); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">

Mariam

A young Arab-American amateur drag queen has to confront his conservative father and Alzheimer's grandfather about his identity

Arab Film and Media Institute's Senior Programmer Beshoy Botros sits down with director Salim Mourad to discuss his latest film MOSS AGATE. Film synopsis:Beirut, summer 2019The filmmaker experiences a descent into the abyss. His health is at stake and his film community is falling apart.His actress friend Tamara is the last one to leave.After his death, Tamara meets François, a man whom she falls in love with, yet memories of the past keep coming back to her. As they encounter a previous member of the community, they start playing with precious stones. They do not know their dance is sacred. Amethyst, ruby, agates pass like magic from hand to hand.Meanwhile, the filmmaker's mother gives birth to him again. He doesn’t remember much of his previous self, yet he starts a spiritual journey that will lead him back to Tamara. Both of them move to an unlikely place outside the city that they love. Filmmaker bio:Salim Mourad was born in Beirut in 1987. He did his bachelor and both master degrees in directing and film research in IESAV - Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut. His filmography is diverse and has included short personal documentaries like A letter to my sister (2008) in which he started his exploration of his family dynamics and A Trip to the barbershop (Yamagata Intl Film Fest 2009) as well as medium-length fictions like The demolition (2011) and X: the conception (2012) in which he mixes reality and fiction. His first feature documentary This Little Father Obsession (Visions du Réel 2016) that lives a beautiful festival life and deepens the filmmaker’s queer gaze on notions of procreation and transmission. And he has also created a political trilogy of the body: Linceul (2018), Cortex (2019) and Agate Mousse (2020) He is currently a film teacher in Beirut and is working on developing his next project.

Talkback with Director Salim Mourad

Filmmaker Salim Mourad sits down with AFMI Senior Programmer Beshoy Betros to talk about his latest film

Moss Agate & Queer Lens

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