Rated: NR    Runtime: 69 mins.
THE INVISIBLE MEN
DIRECTOR: Yariv Mozer

Expected guest: director Yariv Mozer

In a tumultuous region fraught with religious, cultural and political tribulations, simply being oneself is a luxury that gay Palestinians cannot afford. Threatened with violence and death by the their families, outed gay men such as 32-year-old Louie have fled Palestine for Tel Aviv. But while the Israeli urban center may arguably be the most LGBT friendly city in the Middle East, it is still a space where gay Palestinians have a very tough time living legally and getting by.

His face scarred by his father’s blade, pensive Louie has been hiding in Tel Aviv for almost ten years, eluding police who knock on his door, and living a life with no passport, no bank account, and a cloud of fear following him.Though asylum in a third country is his only legal option, Louie is reluctant to move: the Middle East is, quite simply, his home. While other refugees such as 24-year-old Abdu, who was tortured, has no such qualms about moving to Europe, Louie is torn: he can be in Europe and be free to love, or he can be in the only land he has ever known. He can never have both.

Examining the multiple layers of identity that add up to make a person, award-winning director Yariv Moser’s intimate film sheds light on a world where one cannot be gay in Palestine, or a Palestinian in Israel. In this world, they truly are The Invisible Men.

— ALEXIS WHITHAM

In Hebrew, English and Arabic with English subtitles.

AT&T Audience Award Text Voting Code: D216

Sponsors:
Consulate General of Israel Pacific Northwest, Israel Center & LGBT Alliance of the Jewish Community Federation, LGBT Alliance Jewish Community Federaton