Rami Fahel | ملوخية ناعمة Mlukhiye / 2021

forced outing

by Douglas Messerli

 

Rami Fahel (screenwriter and director) ملوخية ناعمة Mlukhiye / 2021 [15 minutes]

 

A father sits with his two sons at the dinner table eating Mlkhiye, a Lebanese chicken dish with greens (probably spinisch, garlic, and spices, primarily cinnamon and cumin. One son, Fares (Michael Lerner) eats quite ravenously, the other Tamer (Louis Massi) breaking his pita into smaller bits as he busily keeps his cellphone before him, a gay site demanding pictures of his face and ass. When his brother takes a call on his own cellphone, he announces that he’s going to Bahaa, although the younger son has already told the family he intends to use the car today. Their father resolves the crisis, telling the younger son he can use the car but must bring back by 8:00.

     Tamer receives another call, and quickly leaves the table—on a deadline, he responds to his father’s insistence that he finish his meal. The minute he leaves, Fares asks his father if he noticed how his brother was dressed. “The whole neighborhood is talking about him.”

    The gay boy, once outside, quickly puts on an earring and can hardly wait, it is apparent from look on his joyful face, to get to his destination to meet someone to have sex. But the building to which he drives, having been told on his cellphone of the location, is an eerily empty office building, presumably closed on weekends. It’s clear from Tamer’s slow walk to the end of the long corridor that he is now hesitant about the meetup.

    When he finally opens the door and sees the heavy-set man sitting behind the desk, he first apologizes that he has arrived at the wrong spot, before the man insists that he enter and sit. “Don’t be scared,” the man insists.

      “Another time,” replies the boy, turning to leave.

      “Come on, come in.”

      The middle-aged man, Alec, insists they just talk, and if he feels uncomfortable he can leave.

    Obviously, the boy has been “catfished,” the man presenting a false identity on their cellphone communications.

     When Tamer goes to bring out a cigarette, the man declares “No smoking here,” the young man replying, “But catfishing is allowed?”

      What Alec quickly discerns is not only that this is Tamer’s first time having gay sex but that he is not yet officially out; certainly he must realize the great disappointment that the man in picture is not the unattractive Alec that sits before him.

     “It is not easy being someone else,” answers Tamer, Alec admitting that he too is not out, which is why they are meeting in such a strange location. “We are here to have fun,” Alec finally moves to the heart of the matter, holding his hand out for Tamer to take. Tamer has no choice but to put his hand out for the other to grab.

     But when Tamer pulls away the older man gets nervous. Tamer demands that he needs a smoke, moving to the leave in the process, although promising he will be right back.

     Alec offers to show him the way, but Tamer refuses, also insisting he has to answer a call from his father. Once free, Tamer moves quickly to the exit.

     Alec texts him: “Are you freaking serious? What type of behavior is that? Get right back her now!” When Tamer does not answer, Alec sends another, far more threatening text: “Tomorrow everyone in your village will know you’re a big whore faggot.”

      Tamer hits the dashboard, in tears, knowing that he has made a terrible mistake.

      Finally calming himself the best he can, he drives home, and slowly climbs the stairs to the family’s apartment, the opposite of his hurried rush to leave.

       The father and Fares sit in the living room, trying to contact Tamer, frustrated by the fact that

he is not answering. When he enters, Fares insists on knowing where he has been, the father also insisting that he answer that question. Fares immediately wants to know if someone bothered him.

 

      But as Tamer sits down on the couch with his father, he first takes out his earring and puts it on, announcing that not only does he want to continue with his music, but he wants to go to dance school. “Oh, and I also drink,” he adds before continuing to the core of issue, “and my first kiss was with a guy. And the second, the third….”

        As difficult as it is for Westerners to come out to their parents, they cannot comprehend how impossible it is for those in Arab and African cultures, where shame is not only put upon the gay boy but upon the entire family. The neighbors might not only ostracize Tamer, but his brother and father as well.

        Fares’ response is to be expected: “What? What? That’s disgusting!”

        Their father gets up and moves off.

       Fares continues, “What is there for him to say. What is this nonsense? You take it up the ass?” He turns to the father, “You hear your son. That’s what I was telling you.” He turns back to Tamer: “You. You are my brother?”

       “Really, when did you consider me your brother?” Tamer retorts. As the two continue to fight, their father finally steps in and demands they stop.

      “This is what I deserve. After everything I’ve done for you. This is what I taught you?” It’s not quite certain whether he is talking exclusively about Tamer’s being gay or the brothers so violently arguing with one another.

       Tamer obviously takes it personally, answering: “This is who I am Dad. I won’t be anything else.”

       “How do you dare talk back,” interrupts Fares, the cruel dominant.

    “How will people look at us,” moans the father. “What will they say about your brother?” He continues with the international parental retreat from the situation, “Where did I go wrong….”

       Tamer answers the way any gay son must: “You care more about “the people” than your son?”

        And again, the world-wide parental retreat: “These are not our traditions. This is not us!”

        But obviously, as Tamer replies, “It’s us. It’s me.”

        As if he has been a bad child, the father sends Tamer to his room.

        And there the movie seems to end as the screen turns black.

    However, unless the father and brother were to cast out Tamer from their lives (which often happens), there is always a next scene, always a slow mend, an attempt to bring those who cannot at first comprehend around to understanding.

      In Palestinian director Rami Fahel’s graceful representation of the horrific and painful “coming out” event, the picture returns to a repeat of the first scene, the three gathered round the table eating Mlkhiye, the only difference being that this time Tamer eats more heartily than before and Fares refuses to answer his cellphone when it rings, perhaps knowing what terrible news it might bring, threatening his own macho image of himself.

 

Los Angeles, August 12, 2024

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (August 2024).