Adam
Theatre, Film
2021
مِصر (Egypt), Scotland, Iraq
Adam Kashmiry, an Egyptian-Scottish trans man, plays himself alongside Iraqi-English actress Yasmin Al-Khudhairi. Adam experiences sexual abuse and discrimination in Egypt, has a short-lived relationship with an Egyptian lesbian woman, is made homeless by his father, and seeks asylum in Scotland. After being mistreated by immigration officials and stuck in legal limbo for almost two years, he is finally granted permanent asylum in Scotland.
Watch.
Article by Adam.
Director's Webpage.
Available Summary:
The true story of a trans man, Adam Kashmiry, and his remarkable struggle across genders and borders. Based on the acclaimed National Theatre of Scotland play, with Adam himself in the lead role.
Jack's Summary:
This film is absolutely incredible. I highly recommend watching it, provided you are prepared for confronting themes. Those themes include:
Bandage binding, which is depicted as being uncomfortable and unsafe, and is not romanticised (a persistent issue in trans media).
Gang rape, which is not shown visually, but is depicted through audio with explicit language, including references to Adam's genitals.
Threats of corrective rape, to "fix" Adam.
Discussions of police brutality, including sexual violence.
Threatened/considered self harm with a knife, specifically focused on Adam's chest.
Discussions of dysphoria-inducing situations and experiences, including menstruation.
Sexist language and attitudes.
Accusations of internalised sexism and lesbophobia by Adam's girlfriend, who identifies as a lesbian and insists that Adam's male identity is due to self-hatred.
Food deprivation.
An immigration official aggressively interrogating Adam's gender identity and experiences of rape in Egypt.
Needle use.
I have an immense amount of respect for Adam, to share his story and have it depicted in such a raw way. I'd heard of this play but hadn't realised it'd been adapted into a film, and happened across it while I was researching another piece of media. I'm bloody glad, because this is an incredibly important piece of trans male media history. And there's a happy ending!
The film is accompanied by choir songs, performed by 140 trans and gender-diverse singers from around the world. At the end of the film, Adam stands onstage, looking at a giant display of the singers' webcams, as a visual representation of the global community we're all a part of. I was very touched by this, and by Adam's mother becoming supportive towards the end.
Entry last updated:
16 Apr 2026