Layla

Layla, a talented but struggling British-Palestinian drag artist living in London, falls for a charismatic white promoter. This becomes the catalyst for a poignant and frequently hilarious reckoning: what does it cost to be seen, and who must you become to be desired?

More than a simple romcom, Layla explores the tensions between authenticity and assimilation, cultural inheritance and queer futurity, and the politics of desire within a white-dominated LGBTQ+ scene. This is a film about the art of performance, on stage and in life, and the complexities of belonging. (Bethan Hughes)