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ComedyDramaRomance

Breaking Fast

- A Ramadan Rom-Com.

Mo, a practicing Muslim living in West Hollywood, is learning to navigate life post heartbreak. Enter Kal, an All-American guy who surprises Mo by offering to break fast with him during the holy month of Ramadan.

Release Date : 2020-03-07

Language :ArabicEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : IFTAR Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Haaz Sleiman

Character Name : Mo

Original Name : Haaz Sleiman

Gender : Male

Michael Cassidy

Character Name : Kal

Original Name : Michael Cassidy

Gender : Male

Veronica Cartwright

Character Name : Judy

Original Name : Veronica Cartwright

Gender : Female

Patrick Sabongui

Character Name : Hassan

Original Name : Patrick Sabongui

Gender : Male

Aline Elasmar

Character Name : Muna

Original Name : Aline Elasmar

Gender : Female

Diane Sellers

Character Name : Nurse Harper

Original Name : Diane Sellers

Gender : Female

Amin El Gamal

Character Name : Sam

Original Name : Amin El Gamal

Gender : Male

Brian Dare

Character Name : Sebastian

Original Name : Brian Dare

Gender : Male

Christopher J. Hanke

Character Name : John

Original Name : Christopher J. Hanke

Gender : Male

Doug Locke

Character Name : Josh

Original Name : Doug Locke

Gender : Male

Rob Warner

Character Name : Chad

Original Name : Rob Warner

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-03-26

Though it isn’t an especially well written nor acted drama, this one, it does shine a little light on the culture clashes that exist when it comes to being gay and a man of religious faith. Here, it’s “Mo” (Haaz Sleiman) who has a relationship with “Hassan” (Patrick Sabongui) but it’s closeted. Well, it’s too closeted for “Hassan” at any rate and this leaves “Mo” uncertain and at a bit of a loss as to what to do. His concerns are not just about his religion, but also how his family might react to the news that he gay and has a boyfriend. As Ramadan arrives, he encounters the permanently smiling “Kal” (Michael Cassidy). He’s a sort of all-American boy next door whom your mother might actually want you to be gay so that you could date - and he can cook! What now ensues is fairly predictable but it does invite us to consider just how frequently incompatible religion can be when dealing with same sex orientation. This film takes a slightly rose-tinted view of the attitudes of many of the Muslim faith - and being set in Los Angeles it hardly challenges the existence they might experience living in Lagos or Kampala, but the underlying premises of fear, anxiety and intolerance - real or anticipated - could apply to most religions where sex and marriage are the exclusive purview of a man and a women for the purpose of breeding more of the same. It’s naive and simplistic, but that said it tries to turn these qualities into something that tells a love story whilst, perhaps, provoking some debate about just what being free actually means. Sometimes that is societal, sometimes it’s attitudinal, maybe even both and Sleiman does a reasonable job at characterising a man conflicted whilst bringing a little cheesy humour to a romance that you’ll never remember, but it’s an easy watch.