Q

Documentary, director: Jude Chehab, Lebanon/USA, 2023, 93 min., Arab., En., with En. ST

Followed by a Film Talk with director Jude Chehab.

Where do we draw the line between love and devotion? An intimate and haunting portrayal of a quest for love and acceptance, Q depicts the influence of a secretive matriarchal religious order in Lebanon on three generations of women in the Chehab family. Jude’s mother Hiba puts her loyalty to the order and her love for the Anisa, its leader, above her own well-being – until one day she is expelled from the group. Filmmaker Jude Chehab carefully documents the unspoken ties that have bonded her mother, grandmother, and herself to the mysterious organization, making Q a multigenerational tale of the eternal search for meaning. Blending together intimate dialogues with family members, daily observations, and archival footage, this documentary delicately portrays the complexities of the unseen powers that interweave the lives of those who love a woman whose heart is in the hands of someone else.