Gay Man Aims To Balance His Faith And Desires In This Short Film

A young gay man struggles to reconcile his sexuality with his religious faith in “ Abid,” an experimental short film produced in Indonesia.

Director Fachri Al Jupri said he drew from his own experiences in creating the film, which follows the introverted Farhan as he navigates online dating and his feelings for a new neighbor. The dialogue-less film’s title, he said, loosely translates to “worshipper.”

Regarding his decision to create the film without traditional dialogue, Al Jupri told The Huffington Post. “I just think it’s relaxing sometimes to follow someone’s life and try to understand it visually.” The film’s somewhat ambiguous ending, he added, “shows that even after he returned to the righteous path, his desire for guys was still in him.”

You can catch a sneak peek at “Abid” above, then head to Viddsee, which curates and shares powerful short films, to watch the full-length clip.