All his life, Karim has tried to fit in. As the son of Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands, he has hidden his homosexuality from his family – until one day he is caught by his father with his partner. Instead of resigning himself to the inevitable accusations and silence, he makes a radical decision: he locks himself in the closet of his parents' house and forces his family to finally face the truth. As heated discussions arise, old wounds are reopened. Karim confronts not only his parents with their denial, but also himself with the fears and influences of his childhood. THE LOVE is the feature film debut of Dutch director Shariff Nasr and a moving examination of identity, cultural norms and familial acceptance. Between humor and pain, the film paints a portrait of a man who rebels against deeply rooted conventions. Fahd Larhzaoui plays Karim with impressive authenticity – an actor who has first-hand experience of coming out in a conservative community. He is supported by Lubna Azabal and Slimane Dazi, who impressively bring the parents' emotional turmoil to the screen. THE LOVE celebrated its premiere at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco and has been shown at international festivals such as NewFest in New York and the OUTshine Film Festival in Fort Lauderdale. It won the Jury Award for Best Feature Film at the Seattle Queer Film Festival. The response to the film shows how universally relevant the themes of love, fear and self-liberation are – and how urgently they need to be told.
Karim has finally found the courage to come out to his family. But will love conquer his family's prejudices?
All his life, Karim has tried to fit in. As the son of Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands, he has hidden his homosexuality from his family – until one day he is caught by his father with his partner. Instead of resigning himself to the inevitable accusations and silence, he makes a radical decision: he locks himself in the closet of his parents' house and forces his family to finally face the truth. As heated discussions arise, old wounds are reopened. Karim confronts not only his parents with their denial, but also himself with the fears and influences of his childhood.
THE LOVE is the feature film debut of Dutch director Shariff Nasr and a moving examination of identity, cultural norms and familial acceptance. Between humor and pain, the film paints a portrait of a man who rebels against deeply rooted conventions. Fahd Larhzaoui plays Karim with impressive authenticity – an actor who has first-hand experience of coming out in a conservative community. He is supported by Lubna Azabal and Slimane Dazi, who impressively bring the parents' emotional turmoil to the screen.
THE LOVE celebrated its premiere at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco and has been shown at international festivals such as NewFest in New York and the OUTshine Film Festival in Fort Lauderdale. It won the Jury Award for Best Feature Film at the Seattle Queer Film Festival. The response to the film shows how universally relevant the themes of love, fear and self-liberation are – and how urgently they need to be told.