A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile
Directed by Sophie Deraspe
There is no indication that this typical online flirtation between two strangers would turn into a case of shocking international intrigue. For months, Sandra in Montreal and Amina, a Syrian-American, bond romantically and intellectually. Encouraged by Sandra, Amina launches a blog called "A Gay Girl in Damascus," representing a marginalized voice in the Middle East on politics, religion, and sexuality. Rapidly garnering worldwide attention, Amina becomes something of a star blogger. But when Syria enters the Arab uprising of 2011, Sandra receives word that Amina has been kidnapped, and soon the search for Amina becomes a global concern and an even larger mystery to solve.
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Reviews
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★★★★ review by Screen-Space on Letterboxd
"Deraspe’s film gives you a wealth of insight then lets you decide..."
Read the full review: screen-space.squarespace.com/reviews/2016/3/7/the-critics-capsule-mardi-gras-film-festival-2016.html
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★★★★ review by Kevin on Letterboxd
Whoa. This is the best documentary I’ve seen in a long time. As in, better than the Oscar-winning CITIZENFOUR.
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★★★★ review by Sean Kelly on Letterboxd
Beginning as the story of an online romance in the midst of an uprising, The Amina Profile ends up turning into a stranger than fiction cautionary tale, which is most definitely worth checking out.
Toronto Film Scene Review: thetfs.ca/2015/04/24/hot-docs-2015-review-amina-profile/
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★★★★ review by Alexander Morrison on Letterboxd
I really liked this one. It was just a smidge too... personal for such an enormous story, but it largely worked. Gripping, with some fascinating twists and turns. If you don't already know the story of 'A Gay Girl in Damascus', it's fantastic to go in completely blind, but even if you do, this is just an enjoyable documentary.
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★★★★★ review by Joel Copling on Letterboxd
A document of revolt that shifts into a devastating portrait of deception that systematically ripped open the very fabric of that revolt. "The Amina Profile" is about the worst in humanity, shedding light on all sides of this deception--the frail victim, the monstrous victimizer, the journalists who exposed the betrayal for the world to see, the truly broken away from whom warranted attention was turned. It is a true story stranger than fiction that only grows in strangeness as the film progresses--and in desperation.
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