by Jude Chehab
The Islamic women's movement Qubaysiat demands absolute devotion from its members and prescribes strict rules of faith. Jude's mother, Hiba, is part of the stringently organised association. She puts her loyalty to the matriarchal organisation and her love for its leader above her own well-being – until she is one day expelled from the group. Looking back at three generations of her family's history, Lebanese-American filmmaker Jude Chehab plumbs the depths of her mother's beliefs. Mixing intimate conversations with family members, detailed everyday observations and archival footage, the result is a haunting documentary about the beauty and importance, but also the dangers, of love and devotion to religion.
Jude Chehab is a Lebanese-American filmmaker based in New York and Beirut whose work focuses on exploring the esoteric and spiritual. A student of the influential Iranian director and screenwriter Abbas Kiarostami, she has developed a multilayered yet highly intimate filmmaking style. She has worked as a cinematographer on various projects, including collaborations with the BBC, Refinery29, Oxfam GB and Doctors without Borders. 2023 Q 2023 300 Days of Sun (short film) 2011 I’m Here (short film) 2011 Behind the Tents (short film)