28th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival

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Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?
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Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?
Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?
Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?
Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?

Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?

director: Mohammad Shawky Hassan
original title: Bashtaalak sa’at
country: Germany, Egypt, Lebanon
year: 2022
running time: 63 min.

synopsis

The film is a probe into the romantic relationships and sexual adventures of young gay men whose lives deviate from traditional heteronormative ideas. In intimate conversations with several protagonists, they discuss dating in the queer community, polyamory, and unfulfilled love. The scenes consist of colorful animations inspired by Arabic fairy tales, theatrical play scenes with explicit nudity, and musical numbers with Arabic pop songs. The stark contrasts between the different narrative forms support the ironic tone of the film, which explores the possibilities of true love outside of society’s expectations.

“It's a remarkable collection of tales that inventively and honestly explore masculinity through a queer eye.”

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Source: Rich Cline Review, 26. 9. 2022. http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/22/d11.htm#shal

biography

Film director and artist Mohammad Shawky Hassan (* 1981) lives and works in Berlin. He studied philosophy, media studies, and filmmaking at Cairo University and Columbia University in New York. His documentary and video art work combines Arabic poetics with contemporary LGBTQIA+ themes.

more about film

director: Mohammad Shawky Hassan
producer: Maximilian Haslberger
Ministerstvo kultury
Fond kinematografie
Creative Europe Media
Město Jihlava
Kraj Vysočina
GEMO
Česká televize
Český rozhlas
Aktuálně.cz
Respekt
Dafilms