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Al-Kadhi’s directorial debut stars Bilal Hasna, Louis Greatorex, Safiyya Ingar, Terique Jarrett, Darkwah and Sarah Agha, with supporting roles from Rebecca Lucy Taylor aka musician Self Esteem and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestant, Baby.
The film follows Layla, a struggling Arab drag queen, whose confident façade hides their desperate desire for love. When their performance at a belittling corporate Pride event turns into a transgressive takedown,they are surprised to catch the eye of marketing executive Max, whose attentions sweep Layla offtheir feet. The two start an intoxicating romance, but as Layla starts to alter who they are in order
to keep Max’s interest, they both have to face uncomfortable truths.
The origin of the project traces all the way back to 2017’s BFI Flare Festival’s mentorship
programme, run in partnership with BAFTA, which brought together writer/director Amrou
Al-Kadhi and producer Savannah James-Bayly for the first time.
Remembering that first encounter, Savannah says “I was immediately struck by Amrou, so
embodied in their queerness, and so articulate in their championing – and occasional critique – of
the films we watched across the festival. It was the perfect incubator to hatch a professional
relationship. For two weeks we watched the latest queer cinema had to offer and realised we had
similar tastes and ambitions for our own work. We discussed the ways in which on screen
representation had affected both our lives and I realised that here was a voice with something
meaningful to say, that was not afraid to stand up and say it despite a world that was ready to
ridicule, abuse or dismiss them at every turn”.
“At its core, Layla is a film about choosing joy, and fighting the trauma narratives that surround queer Arab lives,” said Al-Kadhi. ”Going to the cinema has always been an act of sanctuary for me, a place to choose joy, and we cannot wait to partner with Curzon to give audiences an uplifting and joyous cinematic experience.”
Book your preview screening of Layla at the BFI here.
WRITTEN BY:
Nura Arooj