What to watch: Queen Tut
The coming-of-age story of a baby drag queen who moves from Cairo to Toronto.
Directed by Reem Morsi, Queen Tut gives us the coming-of-age story of Nabil (Ryan Ali).
After the loss of his mother, Nabil leaves Cairo to live with his father in Toronto.
Stumbling into the city's queer nightlife while struggling to process his grief for his mother, Nabil is taken under wing of Malibu (Alexandra Billings).
Malibu is a drag performer in a queer bar but her livelihood is under threat by a gentrification development spearheaded by Nabil's father.
The film is written by Abdul Malik, Bryan Mark, and Kaveh Mohebbi. The cast also includes Kiriana Stanton, Selena Vyle, and Thom Allison.
Alexandra Billings really shines in this story, bringing a world-weary authenticity to the thankless task of trying to hold together your chosen family.
While the framing of the story feels familiar, this is a film with its heart in the right place. What's particularly interesting is the exploration of the Egyptian and Arabic queer experience in the context of life in Toronto - something we could perhaps have gone deeper on.
Protect queer art and add this one to your watch-list.
