Out in the Dark

Out in the Dark is a 2012 Israeli romantic drama film which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2012 and in Israel in the Haifa International Film Festival in October 2012. It is the directorial debut of Michael Mayer (Israeli director) (מיכאל מאיר).
The film tells the story of the relationship between Roy, an Israeli lawyer, and Nimer, a Palestinian psychology student. The film was released commercially in Israel on 28 February 2013.
The film has been accredited with 25 awards throughout its creation, which includes the Audience Award at the Berlin Jewish Film Festival in 2013, along with the FilmOut San Diego in 2013.
Plot
The film is set in Israel and Palestine, where Palestinian student Nimer Mashrawi (Nicholas Jacob) is heading to Tel Aviv to meet his friend Mustafa N'amnais (Loai Nofi) at a gay bar. While at the bar, he meets a Jewish lawyer named Roy Scheffer (Michael Aloni). They fall in love, though Nimer struggles with the reality of their relationship. Later in the story, Palestinian society rejects Nimer because of his sexual orientation, whereas initially Israeli society rejects him due to his nationality. The situation is made worse for Nimer when he realises his brother Nabil Mashrawi (Jamil Khoury) is hiding a weapon stockpile for his militant friends.
Nimer is granted a student visa to study at an Israeli university, giving him more opportunity to see Roy. However, he is soon approached by the Israeli Secret Service who pressure him into becoming an informant by threatening to cancel his visa. Nimer refuses and his visa is cancelled. Unbeknownst to Nimer, Mustafa has been living illegally in Tel Aviv under a similar arrangement. When he is unable to provide any more information, he is forcibly deported back to the West Bank where he is immediately abducted by Nabil and his gang of extremists. Nimer is forced to watch as his friend is tortured and executed for being homosexual and an informant.
Later, while going through Mustafa's phone, Nabil and his friends find a photo of Nimer. Despite their differences, Nabil lets Nimer escape rather than killing him. Nimer makes it to Roy's house and hides there. Meanwhile, Nabil's cache of weapons is discovered by the authorities. He is arrested and the police search for Nimer as an accomplice.
Unable to hide him forever, Roy convinces an underworld figure and client of his law firm to smuggle Nimer to France. Though he promises to meet him there in the future, Roy is arrested while distracting the police so Nimer can escape. Nimer makes it to his ship and sails away, unaware of what has happened to Roy.
Cast
Nicholas Jacob as Nimer Mashrawi
Michael Aloni as Roy Scheffer
Jamil Khoury as Nabil Mashrawi
Alon Pdut as Gil
Loai Nofi as Mustafa N'amna
Khawlah Hag-Debsy as Hiam Mashrawi
Maysa Daw as Abir Mashrawi
Shimon Mimran as Daniel
References
External links
2012 films
2012 LGBT-related films
2012 romantic drama films
2010s Arabic-language films
Films about LGBT and Judaism
Films about LGBT and Islam
Films shot in Israel
Gay-related films
2010s Hebrew-language films
Israeli drama films
Israeli LGBT-related films
LGBT-related romantic drama films
2012 multilingual films
Israeli multilingual films