Frame and Preparation
Fremde Haut
Conceptual Frames and Background
- Migration and refugees
- Racial minorities in Germany
- Racism
- Cross-dressing and gender expression
- Female queerness
- Identity
Introduction
Fremde Haut, directed by Angelina Maccarone, follows the character Fariba Tabrizi, a gay Muslim woman and translator who attempts to flee from Iran to Germany out of fear of persecution based on her sexuality. The film is associated with a wave of queer-themed independent filmmaking starting in the 1990s.
Preparation
A brief overview of asylum laws in Germany will go a long way to set the scene for the movie and the protagonist’s many legal problems and the dangers these pose to her. It is also an excellent opportunity to connect to the recent refugee “crisis” in Germany, especially the plight of queer refugees and the German courts’ attempts to “certify” queerness in intrusive, humiliating, and homophobic manners.
Either before or after the film, a discussion can be had about the differences between gender expression and sexuality, between cross-dressing and transgender identities.
Introduce concept of “intersectionality” to structure conversation post-film.
Text and Discussion
- Describe how the main character identifies before, during, and after she “becomes” a man. How does her disguise affect how she perceives herself and her desire as a queer woman?
- Can identities not have names? In light of the “nameless” relationship between the protagonist dressed as a man and her unsuspecting female lover, what does a lack of vocabulary entail for how we understand ourselves? Is this something detrimental or beneficial both?
- How does queerness intersect with migrant status in this film and in German society and law more generally? And with race? And gender?
- What are the similarities and differences between the depiction of (female) queerness in this film with that of white, male queerness in the other films?