Ramin Abbas Has Major Questions

A gay Muslim teen forced to join his school’s soccer team navigates parental pressure, internalized prejudice, and bullying in Saber’s touching debut. Ramin Abbas’s post-graduation plans involve leaving Toronto to attend NYU, where he hopes to explore his sexuality without feeling pressured by his Muslim parents, who insist that Ramin model traditional values. Though Ramin’s realization that the only way to obtain his required PE hours is to play in the last few games of the soccer team’s season initially inspires fear, he’s shocked to find that his teammates, including his crush Fahad, are welcoming, and Ramin’s father is similarly thrilled. Ramin’s stress compounds, however, when teammate Assim witnesses him watching a coming-out video and uses the knowledge to blackmail him into sabotaging the team. As Ramin struggles to reconcile his faith and his sexual identity, he becomes convinced that Fahad is sending him romantic signals, and discovers that his athletic ability isn’t as dire as he feared. But with the championship game approaching, Assim doubles down on his scheme, threatening everything Ramin has worked to gain. Punchy dialogue brightens sensitive portrayals of religious identity and its intersection with queerness, resulting in a fresh and compassionate read. The cast is of South Asian heritage. Ages 14–up. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (Mar.)