No God but Us

Sayed’s impressive debut tells the parallel stories of two gay men who meet in 2015 Istanbul. Delbar flies there from Washington, D.C., after his Afghan mother, Qandul, kicks him out, ashamed to find he’s been performing in drag shows. Two years earlier, in 2013 Tehran, Mansur brings shame to his own mother after she learns of his relationship with a man. Arriving in Istanbul, Mansur connects with Leif, who runs an aid program for gay refugees. Shortly after Delbar arrives, he meets Mansur at one of Leif’s programs, happily recognizing in Mansur a “fellow mutant or a lover from a former life.” The men soon attend a pride parade together, but the risky event comes under attack from the police and their friend and fellow refugee, Anahita, is arrested, jeopardizing her asylum case. Meanwhile, Delbar looks at Mansur with an “expectant fire in his eyes,” but Mansur is romantically involved with Leif. When they have a threesome, it complicates their relationships. Though the ending feels rushed, Sayed skillfully balances the personal with the political, as in tender moments between Qandal and Delbar when she visits him in Istanbul, despite refusing to acknowledge his sexual identity. It’s an auspicious first effort. (May)