Bassem Ben Brahim

A release that features 7 shorts from Italy, Israel, Tunisia, New Zealand, the United States and France, exploring those furtive first steps that men take as they decide to act on their sexuality. The 7 short films are: The First Time [La prima volta] (2012); Kiss Me (2022); Nidhal [نضال] (2022); Sparrow (2016); I Am Mackenzie (2019); The Place Between Us [Il posto fra di noi] (2010); By the End of the Night [Que la nuit s'achève] (2018).

Between reality and animation, the story of Nidhal is told, a young homosexual Tunisian who defended individual freedoms in Tunisia through his work in radio. He found himself under a lot of pressure which forced him to leave the country and seek asylum in the Netherlands.

This animated coming-of-age story explores the familial, societal, and religious challenges a boy faces because of his sexual orientation.

An imaginative child, Salim feels like his family, composed of his grandmother and sister Farida, treats him differently. He does all the work while his sister only has to study. He learns that this is because of rules established by the red fish in his village. Farida tries to help her brother change these rules by travelling with him to his fictional worlds.