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A Girl Named Mahmoud
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Wikipedia article
'A Girl Named Mahmoud' (; 'Bint Ismaha Mamood') is a 1975 Egyptian comedy film directed by Niasi Mustafa.
Samar Habib, author of 'Female Homosexuality in the Middle East: Histories and Representations', wrote that the film "exploits the genre of transvestism as comedy" and that "several homoerotic images can be presented safely and innocently to mainstream audiences" through a female character pretending to be a male.Habib, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=LylZ8mvsPlIC&pg=PT126 126]. She explained that because no characters consciously desire those of the same sex and because amida is still a woman, the film puts the audience "at ease".Habib, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=iNK5jWJxvrAC&pg=PA129 129]. Habib added that "the question of [whether homoeroticism is forbidden in religion] does not surface so much as the issues of cultural belief, perhaps because the two can sometimes be interchangeable."
Habib concluded that the film does not successfully thoroughly examine homoerotic desire and that the film "attempts to rationalize homosexuality as a form of transgenderism (women who desire other women must be essentially men)".
Plot
amida (Suhair Ramzi) is the daughter of an illiterate widower, al-ag Firghalee. Firghalee attempts to prevent his daughter from studying at a university, so the medical student assan helps her. After Firghalee reveals he will marry amida to a boy she dislikes, assan has her disguise herself as a man, Mahmoud. assan and his friends lie to Firghalee, telling him they performed transsexual surgery to change amida into a man. amida's disguise has an effeminate appearance, and both male and female employees at Firghalee's furniture shop are attracted to "Mahmoud" and many conclude "he" is a homosexual.Habib, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=iNK5jWJxvrAC&pg=PA127 127].
Firghalee's father mistakenly believes that "Mahmoud" is a homosexual when he sees "him" kiss Hassan. He arranges to have Lawaith, a cabaret entertainer, meet "Mahmood" to set "his" sexuality straight, but "Mahmoud" is not attracted to women and is unwilling to sleep with Lawaith. One woman says that she has the child of "Mahmoud" and two women claim to be engaged to "Mahmoud". After a doctor mistakenly states "Mahmoud" is pregnant, amida reveals her true identity. She and assan marry.Habib, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=iNK5jWJxvrAC&pg=PA128 128].
Characters
*'amida', a young woman who disguises herself as 'Mahmoud' - Suhair Ramzi
*'al-ag Firghalee', an illiterate widower. After amida re-appears as a boy, Firghalee is overjoyed to have a son, as he had always wanted one. He tells others that Mamood is a formerly-estranged son.
**Habib describes Firghalee as "simple" and "traditional".
*'assan', a medical student who is in his final year of his coursework. He lives in the same building as amida.
*'Waeed', a male whom amida dislikes. Firghalee tries to get her to marry him.
*'Lawaith', a cabaret entertainer
*'Soud', an individual who desires a romance with "Mahmoud," but faints when "he" reveals himself to be a woman
References
* Habib, Samar. 'Female Homosexuality in the Middle East: Histories and Representations'. Routledge, July 18, 2007. , 9780415956734.
Notes
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