To loud applause and cheers in Lumière Cinema Maastricht, French-Lebanese filmmaker Hadi Moussally received the prestigious Fashion Film Award for his film ‘Shame (عيب)’, on the Saturday evening of the FashionClash Festival 2024. The film enchanted the audience with its daring exploration of the relationship between shame, self-expression and culture. Although it is a film about Arab culture (the word “عيب” is often used to enforce social norms and punish transgressions), more people recognize themselves in the film, Moussally tells FashionUnited.
The Fashion Film Award, organized by the Maastricht-based non-profit organization FashionClash, offers both novice and experienced filmmakers a platform to show their films to a wide audience. This year, 31 films from different countries were submitted and judged by a jury of fashion and film professionals, including Esther Muñoz Grootveld, Sam Bassett, Pedro Oberto, Donald Gjoka and Marcel Schlutt.
In addition to the award, Moussally also received a cash prize of 1,000 euros. “Making a film is expensive,” the jury underlines. A standard video costs around 5,000 euros, while a short film can cost up to tens of thousands of euros. Despite the costs, Moussally emphasizes that you can also make a good film with a small budget: “All you need is creativity.”
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Born in Lebanon in 1987, Moussally left for France at the age of 18 to follow his passion for film. After obtaining a master’s degree in fiction film from the University Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée, he further expanded his knowledge with a second master’s degree in documentary and anthropological cinema at the University Paris X Nanterre, under the supervision of Jean Rouch. This combination of disciplines allowed Moussally to develop his keen powers of observation, while his background in fiction provided an aesthetic visual language that gives his work a unique flair.
From 2012, Moussally started to focus on the fashion world, where he created experimental films that were internationally recognized. In 2015, he founded his production company H7O7, providing a platform for artworks that combine genres such as fashion, documentary and fiction. His work was quickly praised. He has won more than 50 awards and received 350 nominations at international festivals. In 2020 he founded Hybrid Wave, a collaboration of 30 hybrid artists from all over the world.
Moussally’s film ‘Shame (عيب)’ stood out to the jury for its critical look at cultural norms. The story follows Salma Zahore, the main character, who takes on different roles that reflect societal expectations and limitations. As Zahore explores these boundaries of self-expression, the tension between personal freedom and social control emerges. The film is set against a 19th-century Levantine Arab backdrop and is filmed vertically (9:16) to respect the visual style of the time. The use of AI-manipulated voices adds a modern element that emphasizes the timelessness of the themes covered.
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“What is culture? What is masculinity? What is femininity? What is religious?” Moussally asks himself during the making of the film. By asking these questions, he tries to break the one-sided image of Arab identity and explore what it means to be yourself in a society that pushes you into a certain role. “As a queer Arab, I feel a responsibility to make this voice heard,” Moussally explains. “In Europe, where some politicians are fueling anti-Muslim rhetoric, representation is crucial.” He emphasizes how important it is for young Arabs to recognize themselves in the media: “Many young Arabs do not see themselves in films. It is essential that they know that queer Arabs exist and that it is okay to be yourself.”
Moussally’s work transcends the boundaries of film and art: it is an activist call to action. He challenges both the fashion and film industries to embrace diversity and give space to underrepresented voices. In a world where representation can bring about change, Moussally’s vision offers hope and strength. His message is clear: everyone deserves to be seen, appreciated and celebrated, no matter who they are.
Source: fashionunited.nl
