Cultures of Belonging: Nader’s Girl | Short Film Screening and Discussion

On January 20, CCMS collaborated with MENA Film Fest to bring the short film Nader's Girl to the festival. The film's director, Omar Mouallem, was joined on stage by CCMS Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Amyn Sajoo, for a conversation about the film's themes.

Film Synopsis:

Adapted from Saeed Teebi’s short story "Cynthia," NADER’S GIRL is a darkly funny and sometimes disturbing exploration of masculinity, assimilation and performative allyship. It follows a lonely Palestinian international student, Nader (Anas Hasan), desperate to fit in with his Western roommates—two misogynistic bros who exploit him for rent and performative solidarity during a wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests. Hoping to earn their respect, Nader invents a girlfriend named "Cynthia" (Megan Tracz). At first a fantasy of self-validation, Cynthia gradually devolves into a warped projection of Nader’s insecurities as a foreigner. But as reality blurs, he must decide whether to end the illusion or keep clinging to the only 'person' who values him.

Photos are courtesy of MENA Film Festival and Radha Agarwal.