Sandra Bagaria, a French woman living in Montreal, and Amina Arraf, an attractive Syrian-American, start an online relationship which, for months, keeps them involved romantically and intellectually. Encouraged by Sandra, Amina launches the blog ‘A Gay Girl in Damascus’ as a marginalized voice in the Middle East.

That soon turns her into a star blogger, particularly after Syria enters the Arab uprising of 2011. But it’s Amina’s subsequent abduction—carried out in broad daylight in downtown Damascus, allegedly by the Syrian secret police—that sparks an international movement to save her from torture, rape or even death.

Playing out like a detective story told in immersive cinematography, which mixes feminine sensuality and revolutionary fervour, the film involves American intelligence agencies, top-tier global media, and a host of activists and sympathizers. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of a divided nation being drawn into civil war, this tale of virtual relationships in the era of online data takes on international dimensions.

What begins as an account of an online affair gradually morphs into a cautionary tale about identity in the Information Age, the dangers of the web and the emotional damage they can cause.

FULL PROGRAM

22 March, 18:30, Hollywood Multiplex | Bucuresti Mall

26 March, 20:00, Cinema Union