Grinding away at the inherited family business, Mohamed works tirelessly making sales of knock-off perfume, while living as a knock-off version of his true self. His doting mother Marwa brings him lunch everyday and sets up chay dates with potential romantic interests (and their families) what seems like every night. Inside of this monotony Mohamed is lying to himself about his sexuality and leaning into the mask of masculinity in order to maintain the expectations of those around him, but in reality the biggest expectations of how he should be are set by himself. We follow Mohamed on a day where the monotony comes to a screeching halt, when an unexpected charming customer enters his shop. Mohamed shares a connection with this beautiful stranger who lives in self-acceptance and who truly sees him underneath the many layers of Polo Sport adjacent cologne. In Eitr, Mohamed’s fear of his true desires will be tested as he is caught off guard by the power of being seen, but can this connection break him out of his performative shell, even for a lingering moment?

Director Biography - Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller

Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller is a Queer mixed-race Palestinian-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto. Her work explores themes of fragmented identity, isolation and connection through grounded "oh no, should I laugh?" comedy. Fateema’s background in improvisation and clown greatly influences all of her work as she strives to create with integrity, depth and a sense of humour. She is particularly passionate about bringing to life nuanced and humanizing representations of Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims for the screen and prioritizes building spaces for marginalized voices to thrive both in front of and behind the camera. Fateema's short film EITR was one of 8 world-wide recipients of InsideOut's RE:Focus Fund, she is a Women in the Director's Chair and Canadian Film Centre Norman Jewison Directors' Lab alumni. She is currently in development for her first feature film, coming-of-age Palestinian dramedy, Waves/ 'Amwaj.

Director Statement

Making this film has played a big part in my journey of accepting my Queer identity. Following Mohamed as he sheds his layers of gender performance has helped me be more honest with myself, what masks I wear and who I truly am underneath. Using the structure and style of the Ramadan Soap Operas of the 90s and early 2000s that I grew up on, I aim to subvert the expectations of the genre and centre Queer Liberation in this nostalgic form. Using comedy to bring levity to the intersectional identity crisis of being a Queer Muslim, I aim to focus on Queer Joy through Mohamed's narrative arc. Obviously cultural conflicts can exist inside of the experience of embracing Queerness as a SWANA person, but through this project I wanted to de-centre the struggle and strife narrative and instead find celebration in the Arab Soap Opera's flair for the dramatic and in one man's journey to embrace his fullest self. In EITR we see how Mohamed's culture both conflicts with and embraces his true self in different ways, and through this narrative we lean away from Queer racialized trauma and towards Queer racialized freedom. This project is deeply important to me as a Queer Muslim and I hope it speaks to others longing to be seen. We need more reflections of our intersectional experiences on screen that end not in tragedy, but in celebration!