Sergio, who has traveled to Utrecht with his family to attend a soccer match, suffers a panic attack just before taking the flight back to Barcelona. With the short Queer Exile as prelude.
Sergio travels to Utrecht with his family to attend a football match of his favorite club, RCD Espanyol. Before taking the return flight to Barcelona, he suffers a panic attack and decides to stay in Holland. Unable to provide a logical explanation to those close to him, he cuts off contact with his past. Left to his own devices, he must learn to survive without money, home, and without speaking the language. A compelling meditation on masculinity, identity and communication set against the backdrop of the 2008 crisis. Touching on precariousness, racism, and classism while reconciling a queer identity as a migrant. 17 years from the moment the plot is set in, the issues raised are as relevant as ever.
With the short film Queer Exile (2024) as prelude.
Queer Exile — Ahmed Awadalla (Egypt, 10 mins.)
A firsthand, unmediated perspective on the queer refugee experience, weaving together personal and collective histories. Inspired by Awadalla’s own journey from Cairo to Berlin, the film challenges mainstream refugee narratives and highlights the contradictions within so-called queer havens. “With Queer Exile,” Awadalla says, “I seek to disrupt, reclaim, and reimagine how we tell refugee stories—foregrounding resilience beyond the framework of victimhood.”
