True happiness is borderless, but finding this nebulous space can be dangerous, especially in a tumultuous region marked by violent conflict and rampant homophobia. In the political thriller Out in the Dark, an Israeli-Palestinian film by Yael Shafrir and Michael Mayer, two men cross borders and cultures to find connection.

Out in the Dark.

Described as a forbidden, taboo-breaking affair between two men—a West Bank Palestinian college student and an Israeli Jewish lawyer—Out in the Dark illuminates one stark reality, that we still live in world where love between two men is taboo. Ironically, the “forbidden” relationship between these two men is a metaphor and an argument for human rights and human dignity.

In the film, a closeted, twenty-something Palestinian illegally crosses into Israel on a regular basis to visit Tel Aviv gay bars. On one of these excursions, he meets a Jewish attorney. They fall in love and fight for their right to happiness. However, like most films that examine the complex world of gay men crossing borderlands and cultural taboos to find love, it doesn’t end well.

Out in the Dark isn’t a film about two average men looking for love in an average part of the world. Instead, Out in the Dark is a film about two extraordinary men who live in an extraordinarily mad mad world fueled by hatred and contempt. This is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict played out on an individual scale.

Out in the Dark opens at the Coral Gables Cinema on September 27th. On September 28th, the Consulate General of Israel will host stars Michael Aloni and Nicholas Jacob, who will introduce the film and take questions and answers from the audience before the 7 and 10 p.m. screenings.

The Out in The Dark event with Michael Aloni and Nicholas Jacob will take place on Saturday, September 28th, with screenings at 7 and 10 p.m. and a reception between screenings at 9 p.m. Special ticket prices for the event are $25 for general admission and $20 for members (regular screenings are $11.50). Tickets are available at the box office or on movietickets.com. The event and screenings will be held at the Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; 786-385-9689; www.gablescinema.com.