Out Of Iraq | Mon 20 Feb 6.30pm, Event Cinemas George St | TIX: bit.ly/2hLMMXI
"It's like the walls have ears. They can hear you. Even if you're talking with yourself."
It's 2004, in war-torn Iraq, Nayyef Hrebid has just started working for the US military as a translator, a job that continually puts him in life-threatening danger. But, when he meets and falls in love with Btoo Allami, a fellow Iraqi soldier, the two men must face new dangers and find a way to flee the country.
Spanning thirt...
Out Of Iraq | Mon 20 Feb 6.30pm, Event Cinemas George St | TIX: bit.ly/2hLMMXI
"It's like the walls have ears. They can hear you. Even if you're talking with yourself."
It's 2004, in war-torn Iraq, Nayyef Hrebid has just started working for the US military as a translator, a job that continually puts him in life-threatening danger. But, when he meets and falls in love with Btoo Allami, a fellow Iraqi soldier, the two men must face new dangers and find a way to flee the country.
Spanning thirteen years and four countries, Out of Iraq is both a gripping documentary and a true love story. It provides a heart-wrenching insight into the lives of many queer people living under oppressive governments. It also reveals the difficulty and tedium of applying for refugee status under the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR), a bureaucratic process that the film makes clear is in dire need of funding and reform.
What could be a grim and devastating account is made sweeter, and ultimately more compelling, by Nayyef and Btoo's all-encompassing romance that withstands a totalitarian regime and years of separation.
Both lovers are instantly likeable: brave yet willing to be vulnerable, open about the threats that they face and their dreams for a shared future.
"There are very few true love stories that span 2 continents and last after 5 years spent apart under very trying circumstances." – Awards Circuit.com
"The tale of what happens when two Iraqi soldiers fall in love and have to keep it a secret." – TIME
"A romance between two gay Iraqi soldiers is not one without complications." – SBS
Presented with Club Arak, Refugee Council of Australia, and Lush Cosmetics