"Aadat (habit)" follows the story of a boy who dares to hire a sex worker to explore his sexual orientation in an Islamic country.

by Will Stroude

Art has the power to change hearts and minds - or at the very least spark a conversation - and that's exactly what the director of a new LGBTQ short film is hoping to achieve with his latest work.

Aadat ('Habit'), from Pakistani film-maker Iqran Rasheed, takes an intimate and unflinching look at the realities of gay life in South Asia, a region where LGBTQ life remains largely relegated to the shadows.

The 13-minute film follows the story of a young man (played by Ibrahim Ali Alavi) who hires a sex worker (Rahil Siddiqui) in an attempt to fulfil his desire for emotional and sexual connection in a conservative Islamic country. The ensuing scenes show the personal toll of repressing your innermost desires as well as the potentially devastating consequences for those who express them.

Aadat, which received the Merit Award at the Best Shorts Competition Film Festival in the US and was runner-up in Paksitan's EACPE Film Awards, was a labour of love for 25-year-old Iqran, who lives in Karachi, Pakistan.