27th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival
Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?
director: Mohammad Shawky Hassan
original title: Bashtaalak sa’at
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 |
