➤ BREAK FAST, from p.26
lam tell the story. I love the fi lm’s
heart. There’s a charm about it
that brings out your inner child.”
Sleiman has a big inner child
himself. He is playful but sensitive,
not unlike his character Mo. The
actor also gets to sing in “Breaking
Fast,” performing “Climb Every
Mountain” from “The Sound of Music”
at a pivotal point in the fi lm.
“I love to sing,” he effused. “I’ve
seen ‘The Sound of Music’ a hundred
times, so to sing a tune from
one of my all-time favorite fi lms
was beyond a dream.”
But what Sleiman appreciated
most about making this fi lm was
that “Breaking Fast” featured gay
Arab characters who were nonthreatening,
not living in fear,
➤ CICADA, from p.26
KRAMER: Can you talk about
your approach to telling the story,
narratively and visually. The fi lm
is very tactile, sensual, and uses
sounds and silence effectively.
FIFER: That’s a good question
for my cinematographer. For
the dream sequences, we wanted
to say enough without saying too
much. I think this is dangerous to
say, but I like experimental fi lms.
That sounds like a dirty word and
it has a negative connotation. So,
letting the fi lm become moodier
with less dialogue, I wanted it to
be a framework for others to project
their experiences on to what
they see.
KRAMER: Ben’s sister says he’s
“back on the dick,” and there are
a few quick scenes and references
to Ben dating women and Theresa
Jason Greene who is non-binary.
Do you want to talk about Ben’s
sexuality?
FIFER: Yeah, I think that it
shouldn’t go in a box for the sake of
our synopsis. We’ve written bisexual
more than gay or queer. When
I say I’m gay, it’s political to stand
with everyone. But at this moment
in Ben’s life, he doesn’t know what
he likes or is more comfortable
with. But he knows he’s never been
allowed to love a man.
KRAMER: Sam is closeted to
his father and uncomfortable displaying
shame, or hiding. The actor said
this was “very empowering” for
him.
“Mo has his shit together. He’s
a doctor, he’s successful — he’s
a catch!,” Sleiman said. “It was a
breath of fresh air for me to play
that. I don’t know if that sounds
dramatic or cheesy, but it’s like being
comfortable in your own skin.”
The actor even admitted, “I wanted
to be Mo in real life and have his
life and fi nd that Superman. For
me, it was more about living what
I want in my life through performing
in the fi lm. Mo’s grounded and
in control of his life.”
With a laugh, he added, “Let me
live this dream that I haven’t been
able to get” — an observation that
showed his fl air for the comedic
and dramatic.
Sleiman was thrilled to give visibility
affection in public or being
out at the offi ce. Can you discuss
his character?
FIFER: A few of my exes have
been not out, and that’s a product
of dating in one’s early 20s. Sheldon
brought something cool to the
project. His story is inspired by
his own experience. He was raised
by his grandmother. It’s different
for a white man to come out than
for a person of color. It’s more of a
stigma in the church, and Sheldon
and I both came from the church.
KRAMER: You and Sheldon
have some real palpable chemistry
in the fi lm. Can you talk about
creating that?
FIFER: I don’t know how anyone
can be looking at me when he’s on
screen. I guess that’s all I’ll say
about that.
KRAMER: What did you learn
about yourself and about fi lmmaking
doing “Cicada”? It must have
been cathartic to some degree.
FIFER: The more open I was, the
more people were open with me.
This was always supposed to be
the thing that allowed me to move
forward. One scene — the montage
of me coming out and telling
friends and strangers — the last
girl couldn’t get the lines out. So,
I said my line, and she looked at
me and told me her story. That was
why I made this fi lm. She says she
hadn’t told anyone that. That took
incredible courage and strength
to gay Arab characters, but he
appreciates the authenticity of Mo
and his best friend Sam (a scenestealing
Amin El Gamal). Whereas
Mo is devout, Sam is more secular.
The actor observed,
“Mike Mosallam’s point is that
we’re all the same at the end of the
day. We are universal,” Sleiman
observed. “The characters don’t
talk about their identity. There are
a lot of different characters in the
queer and Arab community. Mike
is a practicing Muslim and openly
gay, like Mo. I am more like Sam
in real life — I believe in God, but I
don’t practice Islam.”
He continued thoughtfully,
“That’s what I love about our community,
we struggle and suffer, but
many of us excel in our lives. It’s
nice to present that.”
One thing that bonds the characters
that at that moment made me feel
we were doing something right.
CICADA | Directed by Matthew Fifer
and Kieran Mulcare | NewFest
| Available for screening Oct. 16,
10 a.m.-Oct. 27, 11:59 p.m.; also
is food. Sleiman was pleased
to participate in the many cooking
and eating scenes.
“I love food,” he said. “It’s like
music for me. Every culture has
different music and cuisine. Food
represents our culture and society.
The food scenes were fun because
I didn’t have to cook anything! It
was food porn — the colors and the
geometry of it all in the overhead
shots. I showed up, I acted, I ate.
But eating during fi lming, you end
up eating a lot! After we fi nished
fi lming, if you were smart, you
took food home.”
BREAKING FAST | Directed by
Mike Mosallam | NewFest | Available
for screening Oct. 16, 10 a.m.-
Oct. 27, 11:59 p.m. | Tickets are
$12; $95 for a full festival pass |
newfest.org/event/breaking-fast/.
screening at the Brooklyn Drive-In,
Brooklyn Army Terminal, 80 58th
St. at First Ave, Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m.
| Tickets are $12 for streaming;
$45-$85 for drive-in ; $95 for a full
festival pass | newfest.org/event/
cicada
Kids Eat For $5.00 In October!
CHICKEN TENDERS
© 2020 Ronald M. Dragoon
During October, purchase any
sandwich or entrée at regular
price in Ben’s dining
room and select an
item for $5.00
from Ben’s Kids
Menu.*
Visit Ben’s today!
OFFER VALID OCTOBER 1-31, 2020 ONLY.
*Each $5.00 Kid’s Meal requires a separate regular price purchase of sandwich or entée. Offer valid
October 1-31, 2020 for in-store dining only. No takeout. May not be combined with any other Ben’s special,
coupon, discount, offer or Ben’s Friends Reward. Offer applies to children aged 10 and under.
MANHATTAN
209 West 38th Street
(West of 7th Avenue)
PH: (212) 398-BENS (2367)
FAX: (212) 398-DELI (3354)
There’s no better time
to try some of our new
Ben’s Kids Menu items!
GLAZED BBQ
MEATBALLS
NEW!
FRANKS-N-JACKETS
NEW!
GayCityNews.com | October 8 - October 22, 2020 27
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