Born and raised in Chicago, Palestinian American writer, photographer and filmmaker Laith Khalifeh, makes his captivating film acting debut as the protagonist in Lucio Castro’s sensual and evocative third feature, Drunken Noodles, which world premiered at ACID Cannes and is now playing in select US theaters including New York’s IFC Center.
Khalifeh plays Adnan, a contemplative but open and curious art graduate student who arrives in Brooklyn for the summer where he has an internship at a hip gallery exhibiting the work of an unconventional older gay artist. As moments from the young man’s past and present begin to intertwine, a series of encounters—both artistic and sexual—open cracks in his everyday reality. Read our exclusive interview with Laith Khalifeh on Drunken Noodles.
Laith Khalifeh takes The Queer Review questionnaire with portraits by Steven Menendez.
What’s your star sign? Scorpio.
Where did you grow up? I’m originally from Chicago and moved to New York about 8 years ago.
What do you enjoy about living in New York City? It’s a bit of a love hate relationship to be honest, but something that always pulls me back is the feeling of constant possibility.
How did you find your way into acting? I come from a writing and directing background and initially I took acting classes as a way to better understand actors so that I could communicate with them effectively. I ended up really loving it and it gives me a new way to relate to filmmaking.
How would you describe the experience of making your feature acting debut in Drunken Noodles? Liberating. I enjoyed every aspect of the shoot. It was a really ephemeral, whirlwind experience. I liked creating in a way that felt like there were no rules, just trying to find these little pockets of genuine moments.
How does your background as photographer feed into your acting work? I think the biggest lesson writing, directing and photography have given me in terms of acting is the importance of observation, really seeing before doing or saying anything.
Which filmmaker would you most like to work with if you got the chance? It’s hard to say, there are so many! But as far as contemporary filmmakers, lately I’ve been going back and revisiting Ira Sachs’ films. I love his sensibility.
What’s the last book you read? I’m working my way through Rachel Cusk’s Outline trilogy right now. If you enjoy learning about a character by what they don’t say, but more so how they listen, it’s the type of writing for you.
What’s your current most-listened to album? Ethel Cain is always on my top played. That’s my girl.
Read our exclusive interview with Laith Khalifeh on Drunken Noodles. Follow Laith Khalifeh on Instagram @laithkhalifeh. For more on photographer Steven Menendez visit his official website and follow him on Instagram @steven_menendez_official.
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