Queer SWANA movie night: In Between (2016), dir. Maysaloun Hamoud

🌈 Queer SWANA Shared Meal & Movie Night

A monthly gathering for queer SWANA folks and allies to come together around a shared meal, watch a movie, and discuss it together afterward.

This event is held every first Tuesday of the month, in the welcoming space generously offered by the folks at KindSpace (400 Cooper St.).

We know life happens, conversations run long, and time in SWANA cultures can be… flexible. The venue is accessible, and doors open at 6:00 pm. We’ll start gathering at 6:30 pm, and the movie will begin around 7:15 pm. You’re welcome to join for any part of the evening. There’s no pressure to be there for all three. What matters most is showing up with curiosity, care, and an open and inclusive mindset.

Whether this is your first time or your tenth, queer SWANA folks and respectful allies are welcome in this shared space.

🕑 Rough program

6:30–7:15 Shared food and catching up on the latest gossip

7:15–8:45 Getting cozy together for the movie

8:45–9:15 Sharing thoughts, feelings, questions. No right answers required

🍉 About the food

This is a shared, community-style meal.

If you’re able to bring food, please do. Homemade, store-bought, sweet, savoury, … all sizes and colours are welcome.

If bringing food isn’t an option, you’re invited to contribute what you can (suggested $15). A small team of volunteers will be preparing home-cooked, grandma-style meals with a lot of love (and yes, some of us Arab gays really do know our way around a kitchen!).

No one is expected to bring both food and money. Come in the way that works for you.

🎬 About the movie

We aim to announce each month’s movie at least two weeks in advance. There might not be one hundred options to choose from, but the pool is rich. If you have suggestions, ideas, or strong feelings about what we can watch next, please share. We promise we won’t judge.

👥 About the people

This is a volunteer-based, community-powered event. It truly takes a village, and everyone’s care helps keep the evening warm and welcoming. If you’re able to help out, whether with food, setup, or cleanup, it’s always appreciated. No, Mama won’t be here to pick up your plate; but community care goes a long way 😉

Movie of Jan 6th, 2025

In Between (2016), dir. Maysaloun Hamoud

Palestine / Drama / 103 min

In Maysaloun Hamoud’s directorial debut, she tells the story of three Palestinian women living in Israeli society struggling with being accepted and deviating from the expectations of their culture. Lalia (Mouna Hawa), Salma (Sana Jammelieh), and Nur (Shaden Kanboura) are roommates living in Tel Aviv.

Salma, a DJ and bartender faces a difficult moment as she comes out as gay to her traditional Christian family. Lalia, a criminal lawyer who likes to party after work, has found love with a modern Muslim man who can’t quite accept all sides of her. Nur is a college student who observes Islamic tradition and moves in with Lalia and Salma to be close to the university. When her conservative fiancé visits, however, he is threatened by her liberal roommates, and pressures her to move back to marry him immediately.

All three women must learn how to accept themselves in the face of mounting pressure from their loved ones to conform.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Minbar Ottawa