Cinema Fouad

Director: Mohammed Soueid
Release Year: 1994

"Cinema Fouad" (1994), a poignant documentary directed by Mohamed Soueid, offers a deeply intimate and compelling portrait of Khaled El Kurdi, a Syrian trans woman living in Beirut. Through a mixture of candid, personal moments and thought-provoking conversation, the documentary explores themes of identity, sexuality, and the complexities of gender transition. El Kurdi's story is both heart-wrenching and hopeful, as she opens up about her life, desires, struggles, and dreams. The film is a tapestry of personal revelations, a meditation on transformation, and an exploration of the human condition.

 

The documentary takes viewers into El Kurdi's daily life in Beirut, a city brimming with contradictions. Through footage of her performing domestic tasks, applying makeup, eating, and dancing, Soueid captures a raw, unfiltered view of her existence. In these moments, we are invited to witness her most private thoughts, her vulnerability, and her reflections on a world that often views her through a lens of suspicion or disdain. Despite the brash questions posed by Soueid, El Kurdi responds with a candidness that reflects her resilience. She speaks openly about her journey, her aspirations to undergo gender-affirming surgery, her love for a Palestinian lover, and her vision of a future where her true identity can flourish. "Cinema Fouad" is not just a documentary about El Kurdi but a larger reflection on the intersection of gender, identity, and the pursuit of self-actualization. El Kurdi's experiences - her time as a soldier, her work as a domestic worker, and her career as a cabaret dancer to fund her surgery - offer a stark portrayal of survival and defiance.

 

The film poignantly highlights the intersections of these identities, showing how society's rigid structures often constrain those who fall outside conventional norms. El Kurdi's determination to forge her path in the face of societal rejection speaks to a universal struggle for acceptance and belonging. In the documentary, Soueid adopts a probing interview style that blends the rigor of a police investigation with the introspective nature of a psychotherapy session. His approach is often intense, at times challenging his subjects to confront painful memories and emotions. This is especially evident in his conversations with El Kurdi, where the lengthy interviews seem to bleed into moments of emotional vulnerability. Soueid's patient, relentless questioning is not merely about extracting information but about creating a space where his subject can grapple with her own identity and desires. The result is a deeply layered exploration of the human experience, free from any attempt to tidy up the complexities of life. 

 

The structure of "Cinema Fouad" is emblematic of Soueid’s broader cinematic approach, which defies easy categorization. His work often resists the boundaries between documentary, fiction, and experimental film. Instead, Soueid’s films weave together a tapestry of voices, experiences, and emotions, creating a cinematic language that is both personal and universal. "Cinema Fouad" exemplifies this with its fragmented yet cohesive narrative, which captures not just El Kurdi’s journey but the many layers of identity that shape her. Through her story, Soueid invites viewers to reconsider the concepts of gender, desire, and transformation, showing how these aspects of identity are fluid and ever-changing. A key element of Soueid’s filmmaking is his refusal to impose resolutions or conclusions on his subjects’ lives. In his films, contradictions and complexities are not problems to be solved but realities to be embraced. "Cinema Fouad" presents these contradictions in a manner that is both tender and unflinching. El Kurdi’s struggles, triumphs, and uncertainties are depicted with a sense of empathy that invites us to question not just her identity but our own assumptions about gender and the societal structures that shape our understanding of it. Soueid's work is marked by an emotional depth that is rare in contemporary cinema. He is known for his ability to draw out raw emotions from his subjects, whether through humor, sorrow, or defiance. In "Cinema Fouad," this emotional resonance is felt through El Kurdi’s journey. Her story is not just one of personal transformation but also of the deep emotional labor required to live authentically in a world that often fails to understand or accept difference. 

 

The documentary does not shy away from the pain and difficulty of this journey, but it also celebrates the beauty of El Kurdi’s courage, resilience, and self-discovery. Beyond its exploration of gender and identity, "Cinema Fouad" also serves as a reflection on the broader context of Lebanese society and its evolving relationship with issues of sexuality and gender. Soueid’s Beirut, which serves as the backdrop for this documentary, is a city that holds its own complexities and contradictions. It is a place where modernity and tradition collide, and where personal and political struggles often intertwine. In this environment, El Kurdi’s story stands as both a personal narrative and a larger commentary on the challenges faced by marginalized groups in a society that is often slow to embrace change. Mohamed Soueid’s career as a filmmaker has always been marked by a distinctive approach to documentary. His films, including "Cinema Fouad," are often described as cinematic essays that transcend traditional forms of storytelling. Soueid’s ability to blur the lines between documentary, fiction, and experimental video makes his work unique. His films are never purely autobiographical, yet they are imbued with a sense of personal engagement. His interest in the intersections of identity, memory, and history are evident throughout his body of work, and "Cinema Fouad" exemplifies this with its deep exploration of personal identity and its broader cultural implications. Soueid’s background in cinema criticism and his involvement in Lebanon’s film industry shaped his approach to filmmaking. He was drawn to the power of the medium to communicate complex emotions and to bring marginalized voices to the forefront. His work has always been committed to the exploration of personal histories and the intersection of individual lives with the larger forces that shape them.

 

In "Cinema Fouad," Soueid’s vision is both specific and universal - he captures the particularities of El Kurdi’s life while also tapping into larger themes of desire, identity, and the struggle for acceptance. Throughout "Cinema Fouad," Soueid’s empathy and curiosity as a filmmaker are palpable. His commitment to telling the stories of those often overlooked by society is evident in the way he captures the nuances of El Kurdi’s life. The film’s rich visual language, intimate moments, and sensitive portrayal of its subject invite viewers to reconsider their own perceptions of gender, identity, and transformation. In this way, "Cinema Fouad" is not just a documentary about one woman’s journey but a meditation on the broader human experience. In conclusion, "Cinema Fouad" (1994) is a masterful documentary that blends personal storytelling with a larger cultural and social critique. Mohamed Soueid’s nuanced approach to filmmaking allows him to delve deeply into the complexities of identity, gender, and desire, creating a poignant and timeless portrait of a woman’s journey toward self-actualization. Through the lens of El Kurdi’s life, Soueid challenges viewers to question their own assumptions and to embrace the fluidity of identity in all its forms. This documentary is not just a window into one woman’s experience but a broader commentary on the human desire for acceptance, transformation, and belonging.

 

via: youtube and bidoun.org
film.twn.org

Image credits: YouTube