Synopsis
Two closeted Muslim teens hawk goods across Brooklyn and struggle to come clean about their sexuality, as their secretive behavior leads them unknowingly into the cross-hairs of the War on Terror.
Naz & Maalik
2015 Directed by Jay Dockendorf
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An exploration of young, queer love, the effects of white supremacy and patriarchy (as filtered through Islamophobia and Islam, respectively) have on it, and of New York in a day, this film is a piece of striking Americana, a post-9/11 view from the bottom of the mountain. Though it shows their bodies, it never objectifies or eroticizes them, instead focusing on a certain innocent affection between the two as they sell religion and fortune, trying to scrap enough for small dreams and pleasures. At the same time, their own fears of discovery fight with their affections, Islamophobia and homophobia blend at times throughout the New York parks and subways, and the two young men are hunted by the manifestation of state bigotry. Their assumptions (fear of homophobia) are matched by the FBI's (fear of Islam) in a scene that would almost be funny if it weren't so cruel.
Pride month: 24/20
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i've been so traumatized by Black coming of age films that i was expecting the worst while watching this but it actually gave my heart a little hug and kiss
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so much potential in this movie, and i can’t emphasis enough how important it is for representation. TWO queer black muslim characters being affectionate and having banter!!! the main issues i had were with how inconsistent the tone felt - the dialogue walked the line between realistic and just random. and also how the plot lines were mostly left hanging! i respect how they tried to parallel the beginning and ending scenes but it didn’t give me much satisfaction. i feel as if they had the opportunity to really delve into the cops + fbi and their treatment of the black + muslim communities, but at the same time i enjoyed spending time in NY as these two boys just went about their day. anyways i wanna see more black muslims in love
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Damn I want some rich white guy to invite me into his home and then give me free beanie babies
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Two energetic titular performances from Kerwin Johnson Jr. and Curtiss Cook Jr. keep Jay Dockendorf's directorial debut, Naz and Maalik enjoyable amongst some pretty preposterous scripting.
These two boys are seriously watchable as two young muslim students spending their day hawking lottery tickets, killing chickens and preparing to come out to their respective parents. Dockendorf's freewheeling day-in-the-lifer makes what it can of the actors' ample chemistry and the pair do well to communicate the difficulties of navigating their sexuality and their faith on the streets of Brooklyn.
When Dockendorf strays beyond Naz and Maalik's personal space though things get a little dicey, especially when the boys come face to face with New York's most incompetent FBI community liaison (Annie Grier).…
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after the “things are getting better” argument I knew it was a white dude writing this
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A day-in-the-life type of film that centers on the relationship between two young gay black Muslim men in New York doing their best to make money by selling items on the street. There are moments of action and moments of tension, but mostly I enjoy the way everything just unfolds naturally—I feel like I’ve been with these characters for longer than a day or two. The conclusion is unsatisfying, though.
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Week 37: A film featuring queer people of color.
A disappointment, but not without its merits. The best parts of Naz & Maalik by far are when they're wandering around Brooklyn: the bodegas, the parks, the alleys. New York stories can get stale after a while but I really enjoyed this peak into the area they know best. Another great aspect about this film is that Naz and Maalik are gay, black, and Muslim - is this the first film to ever have not one but two gay, black Muslim protagonists?
Where Naz & Maalik falls flat is its plot. There's barely a plot in the first place, which doesn't automatically damn a film, but possible avenues are…
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