Atif Y. Siddiqi
Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, "300" is very loosely based the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians; the battle is said to have inspired all of Greece to band together against the Persians, and helped usher in the world's first democracy.
Melding documentary footage with personal history and performance art, Solo honours the fragility of self-discovery. It sheds new light on the necessity for art and its saving grace. It shows how personal demons must be faced as we learn to trust ourselves and love our partners. Solo celebrates one gay man's creative journey to self-realization--with or without Mr. Perfect.
Part autobiography, part performance piece and part homage to Madonna. Exploring cultural identity, sexuality and the maternal relationship. Siddiqi chronicles his life thus far: from a teenager in Pakistan channeling Madonna and enraging fundamentalists by posing as a woman in a fashion magazine to a fashion designer in L.A. and finally his contemporary manifestation as a self-styled provocateur in Montréal.