When Queerguru interviewed out and proud queer Iraqi drag queen/activist/writer/actor/journalist Amrou Al-Kahdi in 2017 it was obvious to us that our paths would cross again. Based in London at the time they were known as Glamrou and the founder and star of Denim the drag superstar group, and managed to make short films as well.
Now they have written + directed their debut feature-length movie, an uplifting and edgy queer love story called LAYLA which created quite a buzz when it premiered in Sundance. Layla is the tale of a non-binary Muslim drag queen (an award-worthy performance by Bilal Hasna) who lives in a small cluttered apartment in London’s Soho with a coterie of very colorful drag friends. It’s a vivacious sight and is part of the uplifting energy that Al-Khadi has imbued with throughout the whole film.
Layla is always on the lookout for love, but acutely aware of the difficulty given the prejudice about their profession, they fulfill their physical needs with quickie hook-ups from Grndr.. Until that is one night they meet Max (Louis Greatorex) a straight-laced advertising exec, and there an instant connection between them that they know they must explore
Their lives are worlds apart but somehow they easily convince us that they nevertheless are such a passionate match, and this is the ‘real thing’. A very cautious Layla has still not come out to his family yet at the same time when it comes to his work and friends he is so full of confidence. It helps you appreciate Kahdi’s real understanding of our community when they can create characters like this without ever resorting to stereotypes.
It’s great that both Bilal and Greatorex, not only have perfect physical chemistry but make their relationship so convincingly real. Yes, Max will misgender Layla and even make they wear “mens drag” when his family is coming to dinner. But will they be able to overcome the aspects of their totally different lives to make this all work, and even compromise for once. (No spoilers here! ).
It’s hard not to fall in love with Kahdi’s tale of romance …….both Layla and Max give us no choice. However, what struck us most was the freshness of it all, and how you realize that the talented Kahdi is an important new voice in queer cinema
