During this festival, we will be screening two films in which you will see touching queer and migrant stories. You will see the stories of Arab LGBTIQ refugees trying to build a new life in Canada. In the second film you will see how a Finnish young man and a Syrian refugee establish an intimate connection.
The Migrant Mixtape
Arab LGBTIQ individuals send Helem Montreal the Migrant Mixtape, a series of recorded letters. They are asking for support to seek asylum in Canada in order to escape persecution and homophobic violence in their country of origin. One of them, Adib Mardini, tells us about the process that changed his life.
Director: Elie Jean Tahchi
Length: 22 minutes
Language: Arabic, English, French,
Subtitles: English
A Moment in the Reeds
A bittersweet tale of attraction, this film tells the midsummer night love-story of Leevi, a prodigal son who returns to his native Finland for the summer to help his estranged father renovate the family lake house and Tareq, a recent asylum seeker from war-torn Syria.
Having moved to Paris to study, Leevi returns to his native Finland for the summer to help his estranged father renovate the family lake house. The Syrian Tareq is hired to help them with the work. During the Finnish midsummer, they spend a few days together to get to know each other and the two young men establish a special connection.
As a response to the lack queer stories in the Finnish cinema, A Moment in the Reeds is one of the first queer films made in the country. The film shows Finland from the perspective of both an immigrant and emigrant, while giving a voice to the ethnic and sexual minorities that have long been marginalized. It tells a story about the search for freedom, acceptance and a place to call home.
Director: Mikko Makela
Length: 108 minutes
Language: Finnish and English
Subtitles: English
About the filmfestival
The fourth edition of the International Queer & Migrant Film Festival is held in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Haarlem, The Hague and Utrecht, from the 6th until the 12th of December 2018. The festival shows the stories of people who have fled because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.The festival highlights these stories through film, debate, exhibitions and workshops on sexual diversity in migrant communities.