The Love

Humor/Drama, Netherlands 2022

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The sun is shining. The bed is still warm from the previous night. A cheerful voice echoes through the room. The day couldn't start more perfectly for Karim and his new friend Kofi. Until the doorbell rings and Kofi opens the door for the letter carrier. It's actually an everyday scenario. But suddenly everything changes for Karim. It's not the mailman behind the door, but Karim's conservative father, who knew nothing about Karim's preference for men. As the son of a Moroccan immigrant family, Karim never dared to tell his family about his homosexuality. He also always told himself that he would one day be able to have a happy marriage with a woman. Just as his parents expected of him. The fear gnaws at him, but Karim refuses to let it win. He goes to his parents' house and locks himself in the storeroom for three days in order to force his parents to talk about his homosexuality. In the confines of the room, memories of a secret passion are revealed in flashbacks - both a ray of hope and a source of pain. The term “in the closet” is usually used to describe non-heteronormative people who have not yet made their sexual or gender identity public. Coming out (from the symbolic closet) in turn describes the process of “coming out”. Director Shariff Nassr finds a literal realization of this scenario, with which he has succeeded in creating a touching drama - and with which he shows that “being queer” is by no means a matter of course, even in modern Europe. “Flashbacks not only recapitulate the young man's story, but also reveal the homophobia deeply rooted in Islamic culture, with comedic elements repeatedly breaking up the drama.” (Encyclopedia of International Film)
103 min
HD
FSK 12
Audio language:
Arabic
Subtitles:
EnglishGerman

More information

Director:

Shariff Nasr

Sound Design:

Job Michel

Producer:

Piet-Harm Sterk

Cast:

Fahd Larhzaoui (Karim Zahwani)

Lubna Azabal (Fatima Zahwani)

Slimane Dazi (Abbas Zahwani)

Sabri Saddik (Redouan Zahwani)

Yahya Gaier (Fouad)

Emmanuel Ohene Boafo (Kofi)

Britte Lagcher (Eline)

Nasrdin Dchar (Soufian)

Walid Benmbarek (Mo)

Sebastian Mrkvicka (Bjorn)

Original title:

El Houb

Original language:

Arabic

Further titles:

El Houb - The Love

الحب

Format:

1.85:1 HD, Color

Age rating:

FSK 12

Audio language:

Arabic

Subtitles:

EnglishGerman