Bashtaalak sa'at

I can admire the courage of an Arab director to make a film that not only specifically reflects on gay relationships and gay sex, but even glorifies this, and all over the movie pretty graphically shows gay making-out and ample male nudity. For this alone he deserves praise and support.

But to be honest: I personally didn't find the chosen form very involving. Maybe one could call it eclectic, but to me it seemed like an incoherent hotchpotch of styles and cinematographical whims: animations, colorful graphics, stills, people at the oddest times bursting into singing, guys making out in two- and threesomes, and especially endlessly babbling with each other, about.... well, about what? It's all intended (I guess) as sharing life experiences and drawing profound conclusions, but it never in any way reached my heart or brain (and being gay, I sincerely started watching with a totally open mind!).

Since any serious narrative is absent (at least, I didn't see it), what remains is a rather tiresome succession of anecdotical scenes and visual bits and pieces, like an Arabic-spoken ADHD-version of Bidgood's Pink Narcissus. It lasts only 60 minutes, but still felt overlong and over-arty, on the brink of pretentious.

But hey, I guess it's me, I probably missed tons of metaphors or am simply not appreciative enough. And as I said: kudos for the guts of mister Shawky Hassan.

I'll say it up front - writer-director Mohammad Skawky Hassan's debut feature is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but that's not to suggest it's without merit. This experimental piece presents viewers with a sonnet to the nature of gay male love, relationships and eroticism in all their myriad forms. The film's artistic, nonlinear narrative incorporates a combination of live action, animation and music video-style sequences, along with more than its share of sexually explicit sequences (sensitive viewers beware). It combines elements from a series of stories drawn from the filmmaker's diary, creating a montage of images and poetic anecdotes styled after an array of classic works drawing from such influences as Shakespeare and Scheherazade. It's also a truly bold gay-themed work to emerge from Middle Eastern culture, an accomplishment to be praised for its audacity. The result is an intriguing mix of artistry, eye candy and camp, though the lack of a more unified narrative can be a tad frustrating, especially among those expecting a more conventional storytelling approach. Perhaps the best way to enjoy this one is to simply sit back and let this one wash over you and not try to over-analyze it.

Amused by Egyption accent and all the Arab actors telling our story by our native language

This queer film, featuring Arab and Egyptian actors, is a masterpiece of artistry and representation. With its stunning art direction and exceptional voice-over work, it delivers a powerful message.

The artistry displayed in this film is truly remarkable. The visuals are captivating, with meticulous attention to detail in every frame.

I have never been impressed by arab queer movie like that.

This film breaks new ground in representation. It explores queer experiences within the Arab and Egyptian context, challenging societal norms. By shedding light on How different and beatiful thier are , it sparks important conversations about acceptance and identity.

It's tough to categorize this film, because it's unusual and innovative style defies simple categorization and description. It blends storytelling with acting, music and animation in a beautiful, colorful visual delight.

It weaves a tapestry of stories about love and relationship - told in a beautiful and direct manner. The actors, who are beautiful to watch, and to listen to, speak directly and so naturally to the camera, interspersed with color and fantasy that are nothing less than delightful. The spoken language changes here and there, but I found listening to the voices and language to be an integral part of the pleasure I found in this film. The prevailing Arab flavor of the film was so interesting and enjoyable to watch.

I loved the straightforward presentation of gay life, and gay relationships. There is something very authentic in the presentation, although they may be wrapped in a somewhat convoluted package.

This was a wonderful telling of an invented tale from the one thousand and one nights by Sheherazade herself. Through music, posed camera shots, animation, dialogue and recounting, the story of a group of Arab men and their hook ups and interpersonal relationships is told.

Another reviewer said that one had to be careful of explicit scenes. Unless I had a censored version, this is not correct. There was some nudity but no physical coupling shown. Or perhaps people's morality differs. What one person counts as offensive doesn't faze the next.

One sore point was the subtitles. The font was too small and their washed-out grey colour made them impossible to read in several lengthy scenes. I speak some Arabic, but a completely different dialect to those being used in the film so I could follow after a fashion but it was hard.

This is the second "arty" film I've seen in a fortnight. Both used techniques successfully to advance and enhance the story instead of the artiness being there for effect and nothing else.

This was a runaway success for me. The sixty six minutes flew by as I learnt about the complexities of the guys' love lives and fantasies. I adored the stories of the merman too.

An absolute definite recommend.