A closeted Arab wholesale perfume seller, attempting to mask his identity with excessive amounts of Polo Sport adjacent cologne, is knocked off-centre when a charming customer sees through his act.

Interview with Writer/Director Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

EITR is a celebration and subversion of the kitschy Ramadan Soap Operas of the 90s and early 2000s that I grew up on. The film takes this beloved and iconic structure and style and reimagines Queer Joy and Liberation at its centre. EITR is a product of navigating my own Queer identity journey and a longing to see more intersectional SWANA stories centring joy and humour rather than suffering.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

You'd watch this film because you love to laugh, you love to pine and you love to root for a character coming into the fullest version of themselves.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

EITR explores the masks we wear in the fear of our own desires, what it means to carry on the legacy of our families and the pivotal moments where choice breaks us free from monotony.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

EITR's protagonist Mohamed is a supporting character in the feature I've been developing, and in my writing process, he just wouldn't leave me alone. Mohamed was the subconscious nagging to be more honest with myself about the masks I wear and the shame I hold towards my intersectional identities. I realized "Okay, I have to spend more time with this character and with my queerness". The process of creating EITR involved bringing my shame into the light and allowing myself to laugh at the stumbles along my own Queer Arab journey. The film started very small, but over a year of building my creative team and realizing that there were so many Queer SWANA artists in Toronto longing to be a part of a story like this, I both found my community and the film grew into something more beautiful than I ever could have imagined when Mohamed was just a voice in my head.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

People really love the kitsch which makes me so happy :')

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I think in general I didn't anticipate that EITR would have such a healthy festival run and be celebrated at the biggest Queer Film festivals in the US- OutFest LA and NewFest in NYC. It is such a beautiful gift to be able to share Queer Arab and Muslim representation centred in joy with wider audiences.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I'm looking to transition from shorts to directing my first feature which has been in development since 2019. I am currently looking for producing partners and support to get this film made!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

All of the above :)

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I hope this film makes Queer Arabs and Muslims feel celebrated and seen and reminds the world that we are human, we've always existed and we deserve to tell our own stories and have agency in the celebration and expression of our identities.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Have you ever been in Mohamed's shoes?

Would you like to add anything else?

Thank you for having me!

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I am just about to film a new short that follows the blossoming friendship between a young Palestinian woman and an older Indigenous woman as they plant a guerrilla garden on the lawn of their apartment building and battle middle management to make it to harvest. It explores grief, colonial violence and displacement through the resilience of relationships.

Interview: November 2023

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

EITR

Length: 14:40

Director: Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller

Producer: Farah Abdo

Writer: Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller

About the writer, director and producer:

FATEEMA AL-HAMAYDEH MILLER is a Queer Palestinian/Canadian filmmaker whose work explores themes of fragmented identity, isolation and connection through "oh no, should I laugh?" comedy. She is passionate about creating nuanced representations of Arabs and Muslims for the screen and prioritizes making space for marginalized voices in front of and behind the camera.

FARAH ABDO is a Filipina/Palestinian producer based in the GTA. After graduating from Centennial College’s Broadcasting and Film Program she produced multiple TV spots, web commercials and short films. She produced the short A Lonely Afternoon which premiered at Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and won the Programmer's Choice Award at Bali International Short Film Festival. Her next project is a thriller short film which she co-wrote entitled Knock, Knock.

Key cast: Mostafa Shaker (Mohamed), Guled Abdi (Lloyd), Hamsa Diab Farhat (Marwa), Augusto Bitter (UPS Guy)

Looking for: sales agents, distributors, journalists, film festival directors, producers, buyers

Facebook: Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller

Instagram: @fateemasaurus

Hashtags used: #eitrshortfilm

Website: www.khafeefdamproductions.com

Other: IMDb

Made in association with: Khafeef Dam Productions

Funders: Toronto Arab Film, Inside Out RE:Focus Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, CUE Fund for Marginalized Artists, Company3, Taste of the Middle East, GoFundMe

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Way Out West Fest/ Guild Cinema, Albuquerque NM- Oct. 14 @ 12pm; New Fest/ SVA Theatre NYC- Oct. 15 @ 4pm;

Hobbnoben Film Festival/ Main Theatre Fort Wayne, IN- Oct. 21 @ 3pm;

Forest City Film Festival/ Wolf Performance Hall, London, ON- Oct 22 @ 10:30am;

Twin Cities Film Festival/ ShowPlace ICON Theatre St. Louis Park, MN- Oct. 21 @ 4:30pm;

Hamilton Queer Film Festival/ Westdale Theatre Hamilton, ON- Oct. 27 @ 9:30pm