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A Queer Bird in the Middle East

Experimental and humorous exploration of one's roots. An artistic love story and a road movie in the Middle East all in one.
Iraqi-Swedish director Naures Sager travels around the Middle East to explore his roots. Along on his journey is boyfriend, Michael. Back home in Sweden, Naures’ receives warnings from his worried family about potential consequences of being gay in an Arab country.

  • Naures Sager
    Director
  • Michael Detlef Petersen
    Producer
  • Isabella Karlström
    Editor
  • Mikey Jones
    Colorist
  • Yehya Breshe
    Sound & Mix
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 57 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 7, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Sweden
  • Country of Filming:
    Jordan, Sweden
  • Language:
    Arabic, English, Swedish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Tempo Documentary Festival
    Stockholm
    Sweden
    March 7, 2024
    World / Swedish Premiere
    Nominated: Tempo Short Award
  • Cleveland International Film Festival
    Cleveland
    United States
    April 11, 2024
    International Premiere
    Nominated: Best LGBTQ+ Short, Audience Choice Award for Best Short, The Celebration of Life Award, The Celebration of Joy Award, The Best Short Documentary Award
Director Biography - Naures Sager

Naures Sager is an Iraqi-Swedish filmmaker who was born in Bulgaria and grew up in Sweden. He completed a BA in Film Production at University West in 2008. He is the founder of the production company The Uneven that produces LGBTQ+ films, with a focus on people from the Middle East. His award-winning short films “1-1” and “Habib & The Thief” have been screened at film festivals around the world, such as Leeds International Film Festival, Nordisk Panorama, New Orleans Film Festival and Flickerfest. Both films are available at Swedish Television’s streaming site. Naures has won the Pixel Talent Award which is one of Sweden’s biggest short film awards. Naures is an activist who works to uplift LGBTQ+ issues within the Middle East and the Arab diaspora. His work has been showcased at the Arab World Institute, the Arab American National Museum and the Arab Film and Media Institute. Naures has released a Queer Iraqi Anthem called “Mako Mithli”. He has received recognition by different media outlets and given speeches at Pride festivals among other events such as the Cannes Film Festival 2022.

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