Imam Muhsin Hendricks

Mazen: In a highly publicized breach of human rights, the Egyptian government arrested and imprisoned 52 men in Cairo when they raided a gay club, The Queen Boat, on the Nile River in 2001. Mazen was one of these men and was imprisoned and tortured for two years. Mazen won asylum in France. At first, Mazen was filmed in silhouette. But after two years of discussions, director Parvez Sharma is also able to document Mazen’s remarkably brave decision to go public and show his face. While recovering from the suffering of torture and adjusting to a life of freedom, he has lived an often penniless and jobless life on the streets of Arab Paris. After three years of separation, he is struggling with whether he will share this with his mother.