The Wedding is a 2018 film directed by Sam Abbas and starring Nikohl Boosheri, Sam Abbas, Harry Aspinwall, James Penfold, and Hend Ayoub.
| The Wedding | |
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| Directed by | Sam Abbas |
| Written by | Sam Abbas |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Shane Ainsworth |
| Edited by | Sam Abbas |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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| Country | United States |
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Production
editIn August 2017, it was announced Nikohl Boosheri, Sam Abbas, Harry Aspinwall, James Penfold and Send Ayoub joined the cast of the film, with Sam Abbas directing the film from a screenplay he wrote. Neal Kumar, Casey Hartnett, Abbas, and Kyleigh Johnson would produce.[1] The Wedding was announced during the Berlin Film Festival as the first title of ArabQ Films.[2][3]
Cast
edit- Nikohl Boosheri as Sara
- Sam Abbas as Rami
- Harry Aspinwall as Lee
- James Penfold as Tom
- Hend Ayoub as Abir
Release
editThe film's trailer was released exclusively via The Hollywood Reporter on August 25, 2018.[4] HuffPost called the film "The Queer Movie That Could Make Waves In The Middle East".[5] Raseef, an Egyptian newspaper, said the film would "cause fuss in theaters".[6]
The film had a secret work-in-progress screening in Egypt in August 2018.[7] Screenings in the Middle East started in November 2018, and were done in select theaters and by invitation.[8][9][10]
Reception
editVariety gave the film a negative review, calling it "dull" and saying it lacked originality. Additionally, they questioned whether it could be categorized as Egyptian, since the film's story and characters were so removed from Egypt and Egyptian society.[11] Similarly, The Hollywood Reporter criticized the movie's execution, calling it "more a muted relationship drama than a timely exploration of clashing sexual and religious values".[12]
References
edit- ^ Barraclough, Leo (Aug 25, 2017). "Nikohl Boosheri, Sam Abbas Star In 'The Wedding'". Deadline. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ "'Berlin: Egyptian Filmmaker Launches LGBTQ-Focused Production Company". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- ^ "' Egyptian Filmmaker Sam Abbas is launching the first ever "Arab-based film company that will focus on movies with LGBTQ themes"". GLAAD. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ "'The Wedding' Trailer: Closeted Muslim Man Prepares for Straight Wedding (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "Catch A Sneak Peek At The Queer Movie That Could Make Waves In The Middle East". HuffPost. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
- ^ ""الزفاف": قصة شاب يعيش صراعاً داخلياً للتوفيق بين مثليته ودينه وزفافه". Raseef22. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "'The Wedding' Trailer: Closeted Muslim Man Prepares for Straight Wedding (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ Dry, Jude (2018-08-24). "'The Wedding' Trailer: The Egyptian Queer Film Getting Secret Screenings in the Middle East". IndieWire. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
- ^ Weaver, Hilary (2018-11-08). "The Filmmaker Screening His L.G.B.T.Q. Movie Across the Middle East". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
- ^ "Is 'The Wedding' new beginning for LGBTQ cinema in Egypt?". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
- ^ Weissberg, Jay (2018-12-18). "Film Review: 'The Wedding'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
- ^ Dalton, Stephen (2018-12-11). "'The Wedding': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-03-20.