The Junction

Certificate 15. 84 mins.

English and Arabic with English subtitles.

A feature-length documentary that follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda from the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to the present day. Playing heavy metal in a Muslim country has always been a difficult (if not impossible) proposition but after Saddam’s regime was toppled, there was a brief moment for the band in which real freedom seemed possible. That hope was quickly dashed as their country fell into a bloody insurgency. From 2003 to 2006, Iraq disintegrated while Acrassicauda struggled to stay together and stay alive, always refusing to let their heavy metal dreams die. Their story echoes the unspoken hopes of an entire generation of young Iraqis.

Cambridge Film Festival Certificate 15. 95 mins.

For 34 years the Miss Gay America Pageant® has been the premier pageant system in the art of female impersonation. It is for male artists who create the female “illusion” – no hormones or implants of any kind are permitted. PAGEANT takes you behind the scenes as 52 ordinary gentlemen go to extraordinary lengths in order to be crowned the 34th Miss Gay America®. Following five of the most talented and beautiful female impersonators as they prepare to dominate in this underground competition, PAGEANT features stunning musical numbers, ecstatic highs and tearful showbiz lows as it delves into the heart and soul of this little-known make-believe world. We hear from the men behind the make-up as well as from those in their entourage: husbands, mothers, sons, and little brothers. Everybody has a dream; these men are making theirs a reality.