Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £6.99 a month
Layla
A British-Palestinian drag performer catches the eye of a strait-laced white man in Amrou Al-Kadhi’s stunning, semi-autobiographical debut.
Director: Amrou Al-Kadhi
Overview
The question of how love alters our identity lies at the heart of this debut from one of London’s best-loved drag queens. Amrou Al-Kadhi’s first feature considers the relationship between Palestinian-British drag performer Layla and their white, straightlaced new love interest, Max. Set against the backdrop of Feathers (a larger-than-life fictional queer space threatened by – the very real – spectre of gentrification), the pair meet when Layla performs an outrageous act at a drab corporate event. Thrown together by fate – and ready-meals – their curiosity gives way to full-blown attraction. But Layla wears a dress made of karate belts and Max lives in a stylish minimalist apartment – their enjoyment of each other is increasingly complicated by urgent questions of difference, forcing both to confront the bittersweet nature of attraction.
Layla was made with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding.
strong sex, sex references, nudity, language, drug misuse
Related
Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.
The Marching Band The Marching Band
Drama 2023 103 mins Director: Emmanuel Courcol
An acclaimed conductor strikes up a relationship with a brother he never knew he had in this touching French drama with echoes of Brassed Off.
Eclipse Eclipse
Drama 1976 85 mins Director: Simon Perry
Unsettling, little-seen 1970s psychological thriller – a story of sibling rivalry set on the lonely Scottish coast, with Tom Conti and Gay Hamilton.
Traffic Traffic
Crime 2000 147 mins Director: Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning ensemble drama explores America’s war on drugs at the start of the 21st century.
The Girl on a Motorcycle The Girl on a Motorcycle
Drama 1968 88 mins Director: Jack Cardiff
Marianne Faithfull is the eponymous girl in this glorious, richly colourful slice of sixties British cinema.
Last Swim Last Swim
Drama 2024 96 mins Director: Sasha Nathwani
A day in the life of an ambitious 18-year-old Iranian-British girl transforms into a universal portrait of youth, hope and fears over an uncertain future.
The Count of Monte Cristo The Count of Monte Cristo
Drama 2024 178 mins Director: Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière
This rollicking take on Dumas’ swashbuckler, packed with lavish spectacle and high-stakes drama, slayed all Hollywood films at the French box-office.
The Passion of Joan of Arc The Passion of Joan of Arc
Biopic 1928 80 mins Silent Director: Carl Th. Dreyer
An incontestable masterpiece of silent cinema, Carl Dreyer's moving biopic features one of the most powerful performances ever captured on film.
Un Chien Andalou Un Chien Andalou
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1928 16 mins Silent Director: Luis Buñuel
A scabrous study of desire, the subconscious and anti-clericalism - Buñuel and Dalí’s provocative first film is a classic of Surrealist cinema.
Deep End Deep End
Drama 1970 92 mins Director: Jerzy Skolimowski
Jerzy Skolimowski’s darkly comic and utterly compelling story of teenage infatuation in a run-down swimming pool.
La Piscine La Piscine
Drama 1969 123 mins Director: Jacques Deray
A ménage à trois stirs passion and jealousy beside a secluded pool in this sultry, French cult-thriller.
The Ear The Ear
Thriller 1969 95 mins Director: Karel Kachyna
An official finds his home under surveillance and his marriage facing turbulence in this Orwellian portrait of life in Communist-era Czechoslovakia.
Swimming Home Swimming Home
Comedy 2024 96 mins Director: Justin Anderson
A family finds a stranger floating naked in their swimming pool in this sensual, sun-baked drama starring Christopher Abbott
The Marching Band The Marching Band
Drama 2023 103 mins Director: Emmanuel Courcol
An acclaimed conductor strikes up a relationship with a brother he never knew he had in this touching French drama with echoes of Brassed Off.
Eclipse Eclipse
Drama 1976 85 mins Director: Simon Perry
Unsettling, little-seen 1970s psychological thriller – a story of sibling rivalry set on the lonely Scottish coast, with Tom Conti and Gay Hamilton.
Vampyros Lesbos Vampyros Lesbos
Horror 1971 89 mins Director: Jesús Franco
Jesús Franco’s dreamily seductive, sun-kissed take on Dracula is one of his most famous works; famed for its hip, psychedelic-loungecore soundtrack.
84 Charlie MoPic 84 Charlie MoPic
War 1989 91 mins Director: Patrick Duncan
Cult 'found footage' war film following a Vietnam patrol unit from the perspective of an embedded combat cameraman.
War and Peace War and Peace
Documentary 2002 134 mins Director: Anand Patwardhan
The rise of nuclear nationalism in 1990s India is explored in a powerful and personal documentary from Anand Patwardhan.
Traffic Traffic
Crime 2000 147 mins Director: Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning ensemble drama explores America’s war on drugs at the start of the 21st century.