The Choice of Love. Dirs. Eirik Andreas Sandaker. Frameline, 2009. 35 min. $125.00.

The Choice of Love opens with the director, Eirik Andreas Sandaker, acknowledging that his experience as a gay man in Norway has been relatively easy, and that is why he is interested in better understanding the experiences of gay Muslims in Norway.

Much of the film is spent with Kaltham Alexander Lie, the first openly gay Muslim in Norway. In addition to facing persecution in his native Iraq, Lie also encounters opposition from Muslims in Norway, and his candid recounting of his experiences is moving.

Sandaker also interviews another young gay Muslim, who was persecuted in Somali and fears returning. The Choice of Love is a quick 35 minutes, and does not examine why homosexuality is taboo to many Muslims. A Jihad for Love (First Run Features, 2008) and Gay Muslims (Channel 4, 2006) would make better, more substantive choices for most library collections.

Reviewed by, Nicole Pasini
Management Analyst ― Training and Staff Development
San Mateo County Library