Plot: Tracking the unlikely love affair of a hunky closeted
gay Muslim from a traditional Turkish family and a blond Belgian boy. Mixed
Kebab Vividly dwells into the class, culture and bigotry. Bram lives a double
life. A dutifully religious Muslim and also a casual drug dealer and closeted
gay man. When Bram flies off to Turkey to meet his future wife he brings his
stunning friend Kevin and soon a love affair develops between the two men.
Faced with no choice but to navigate between these two opposing worlds, things soon
come to an explosive crossroad.
Starring: Cem Akkanat, Simon Van Buyten, Gamze Tazim,
Karlijn Sileghem, Lukas De Wolf
My Review and Thoughts:
First off want to thank TLA releasing and those who sent me
the DVD to review. Thank you for the honor and the trust in giving you an
honest review.
This is a foreign film from Turkey and Belgium. This was an
official selection at the Seattle lesbian and gay film Festival also at the
Memphis gay and lesbian film Festival and Frameline: San Francisco international
LGBT film Festival.
This is a splendid film of love and exploration and desire.
Ibrahim is a 27 year old Muslim who was raised in a multicultural residential
area with his parents. He is brought up in western society. He has a secret, he
is gay. In his Turkish life the thick stain of gay lifestyle is a great
controversial subject in his culture.
Soon his brother black mails him and also around town there
is talk about his sexual life. Ibrahim is haunted with the reality that his
family and friends will find out about his nature. Ibrahim has been chosen an
arranged marriage by his family back in Turkey.
Soon the plot grows as Ibrahim meets a new young man named
Kevin, 19 year old Belgian boy. Kevin's mother senses the affection between
each other with glances and stares. She encourages them to get together. They
at the start become just friends.
As his parents move forward with the arranged marriage
Ibrahim buys a ticket to Turkey and also he hides the fact that he bought Kevin
a ticket for him to go. Soon a passionate beautiful love affair begins between
the two. Sadly the darkness steps in with black mail and anger and jealous.
Soon the hatred and bigotry step in as the truth comes out
and the family, friends and community cause conflict. The Fundamentalist Muslim
community brings forth hatred toward Kevin.
This is a touching film that shines in the reality that
certain cultures still struggle far greater than others in the reality to
accept all persons.
Cem Akkanat who plays Ibrahim gives a wonderful performance
that shines and lingers on the viewer of the film. Lukas De Wolf who plays
Furkan gives an extraordinary performance as a villain that expresses hatred
and rage and anger perfectly on screen.
Simon Van Buyten is a wonderful actor that captures the
character of Kevin in a perfectly flawless light for the viewer. I feel the
viewer can relate to him and his struggle inside a different culture and as the
truth of his struggle for love is tainted, hunted and altered because of
beliefs of hatred toward individuals the acting and the character development
is truly an award worthy reality.
A truly cinematic film of flawless beauty and exploration
and a film that breaks the barriers of homosexual lifestyles in other cultures
and the struggles they face. What I really love about this film is it's a mixed
genera with comedy, romance and the tension of religious hatred and violence.
I feel the movie brings many themes together in a complete
way to express the beauty of love and what the power of love is to certain
persons. And the ultimate struggle to obtain that reality of true real love.
The direction and writing from Guy Lee Thys is something to
be remembered. I felt he contained everything on screen that needed to be seen
and gave the persons viewing the film a stark and beautiful and vivid image of
love and struggle, pain and happiness.
The film comes together with many emotions and with a theme
of family, lovers, hatred, religion gone wrong and the acts of violence that
can be stirred up in a mere moment.
I highly recommend this film. Great direction, writing and
most of all acting.