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double bill #36
Cinema Fouad
Cinema Fouad is a portrait of Khaled El Kurdi, a young Syrian trans woman living in Beirut. The documentary follows her journey from soldier to cabaret dancer in an effort to raise funds for her gender affirming surgery. Filmmaker Mohamed Soueid shows scenes of El Kurdi’s domestic world, eating, applying make-up, and dancing in her bedroom, while she reflects on her dreams, longings, and experiences.
Gentle and compassionate, Cinema Fouad weaves a complex, multi-layered story of sexuality, identity, and desire. This compelling portrait also introduces the viewer to the rarely seen underworld of 1990s Beirut.
Bio Mohamed Soueid
Mohamed Soueid (Beirut, 1959) is a Lebanese writer, director, and producer. He currently heads the Documentary Department at Al Arabiya News Channel. His works include Tango of Yearning (1998), Nightfall (2000) and The Insomnia Of A Serial Dreamer (2020). He also wrote the following books: Postponed Cinema - Lebanese Films During the Civil War (1986), O Heart - A Film Autobiography On The Late Movie Theatres Of Old Beirut (1996), and Cabaret Souad (2004).