Layla

Amrou Al-Kadhi, United Kingdom, 1:33:00, English

Layla, a British-Palestinian drag artist, spends most of their time in a close-knit friendship group in queer clubs and creating art. But Layla also yearns for romantic connection. Through an unlikely booking, Layla’s path crosses with Max, who exists in the straight-laced world of corporate approval. Amrou Al-Kadhi’s feature directorial debut explores the difficulty of being authentic in a world which wants you to dilute yourself. The film also represents the very real dangers facing queer spaces and the importance of our queer friendships for us to come together in good and bad times.

⛈️: racist and transphobic microagressions, queerphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, strobe lights, sex / ☀️: queer community coming together