I've seen the actor/dancer/singer Khansa in several gay- or tranny-themed clips from Lebanon. All of them have been inventive and impressive and Warsha is perhaps the best of all.
I am kicking myself for not recognising the accents at first. I used to live in Syria and should have realised the guys were playing Syrian refugees whose dialect is quite different from that spoken in Lebanon.
The music used for the mime coming out of the old transistor radio was Al Atlal (The Ruins), perhaps the crowning glory of the career of Egyptian diva Umm Koulthoum. In fact, this part of the song coming after a long lament to her heart (O Fouadi) is the most exciting and provoking part of the poem. Khansa complements the music perfectly as she begs for her freedom from an indifferent lover and he has found his alone in the crane, away from his tough mates.
I'm so glad I've seen this. I never saw the diva live but have watched dozens of her recorded performances on Rotana Zaman, the MBC "Classics" channel. I'll have a look out for her slot again that used to be 8pm GMT. I'll look out for Khansa's work too. Just one short has provoked so much interest and passion. Definitely recommended.
