WHY DO I SEE YOU IN EVERYTHING?

Qusay and Nabil, two Syrian friends in exile, witness a cycle of violence, from dictatorship to democracy. Scenes of their previous revolutionary past in Syria intertwine with images of police repression in Berlin, while the violence that persists after Assad's fall paints a picture of a world where seeing men carry weapons seems more natural than seeing them touch each other tenderly. Between documentary and fiction, this film invents a queer language where a touch becomes political, care becomes resistance, and love a way to oppose violence. It is the debut feature of Brussels-based Syrian artist Rand Abou Fakher, a Belgian production of about 70 minutes. The two friends, played by Qusay Awad and Nabil Altawil, co-created the film with the director. They speak across dreams, archives and video recordings. Long, intimate shots of hands touching, soothing and embracing replace the violence on screen. Olive trees recur as a visual motif. The film premiered at the IFFR in Rotterdam.