Two improbable soul mates—Alex, an American Peace Corps volunteer, and Ali, a handsome young Iranian—met in 1967 in Tehran and fell in love. In a country where homosexuality is taboo (and now is punishable by death), they maintained a ten-year relationship as secret lovers until the Islamic Revolution forced Alex to flee to the United States. In the following three decades, even as the political situation made it impossible for them to see each other or speak of their relationship, their love became even stronger as they cautiously communicated from afar through correspondence, phone, and email. Now in 2012, Alex and Ali attempt to reunite on neutral ground in Istanbul with the hope of relocating to the U.S. to rekindle their love. But unforeseen twists of fate and the changes wrought by 30 years of separation jeopardize their hopes to reclaim the happiness for which they’ve been longing.??Directed by Malachi Leopold (Standing Silent), this heartrending and suspenseful documentary features outstanding location cinematography that captures the raw and spontaneous emotions and sentiment that highlight the complexities of cultural conditioning, ideological differences, and changing political realities amid the universality of human connection. Named Best Documentary at the 2015 Melbourne Queer Film Festival and underscored by a superb, haunting musical soundtrack, Alex & Ali is essential viewing—an eloquent plea for human rights and equality.

— Tim Sika

PRECEDED BY:

Wayne

DIR Mario Galarreta 2015 USA 10 min After 50 years of marriage, Wayne, an octogenarian with Alzheimer’s, seeks a forbidden love from his youth in this beautifully crafted short about romance, memory, and nostalgia.

AT&T Audience Award Text Voting Code: D300

Co-presented by:

Jewish Family & Children’s Services of the East Bay

Out 4 Immigration