Beyond the spotlight: Habibi brings drag, friendship and solidarity to Cinéma Aventure

What happens before the wig is secured and the music starts? On Thursday 29 October, Brussels’ Cinéma Aventure pairs Florent Gouëlou’s documentary Habibi, chanson pour mes ami·e·s with the Belgian short Golden Mirror for an evening exploring drag from two very different angles. One follows artists building a show within a community-minded venue; the other asks what happens when performance becomes a ruthless competition. Together, they put queer creativity — and the conditions in which it flourishes — at the centre of the screen.

Behind the show, a place that holds people together

Every month, the artists of the Soirées Habibi create cinema-themed drag performances at La Flèche d’Or, a community-run, activist venue in Paris. Florent Gouëlou’s documentary follows that process, moving from collective rehearsals to the moment the performers meet their audience.

But Habibi is not only about putting on a good show. At La Flèche d’Or, cabaret shares a home with a pay-what-you-can canteen, outreach activities and legal support. Artistic expression and practical solidarity exist under the same roof.

That coexistence gives the documentary its central question: how does the social commitment of a place shape the art made within it? Rather than separating nightlife from community work, the film looks at how one can feed the other.

Five artists, and everything between rehearsals and applause

Habibi follows five drag artists and the collective work involved in creating a performance. The production credits include Sara Forever, while the film’s focus extends beyond individual stage personas to the relationships and shared effort behind the evening.

There is a useful shift of perspective here. The finished number may belong to a performer, but the documentary’s premise makes room for the surrounding work: rehearsing together, developing a show and inhabiting a venue with a purpose beyond entertainment. Its destination is a drag performance described by the filmmakers as engaged, festive and convivial.

For LGBTQIA+ audiences, that matters today because queer culture depends not only on visible talent, but also on the people and places that give it room to grow.

The key word is solidarity — not as an abstract slogan, but as something embedded in the life of the venue.

Florent Gouëlou’s continuing conversation with drag

Gouëlou’s relationship with drag runs through his filmmaking. While making his graduation film Un homme mon fils, he discovered the drag world; the film went on to receive an acting prize at Clermont-Ferrand in 2018. His subsequent work includes Beauty Boys, Premier Amour and the 2022 fiction feature Trois nuits par semaine.

With Habibi, he turns to documentary, staying close to the making of a show and the community around it. The film received the Audience Award for Best French Independent Feature at the Champs-Élysées Film Festival, according to its production page.

That background helps situate the project: this is another chapter in an ongoing engagement with performance and queer experience, rather than a one-off visit backstage.

Golden Mirror: when winning comes at a cost

The accompanying Belgian short takes the evening somewhere sharper. Directed by Nour Beetch and Nicky L. Lapierre, Golden Mirror places Couenne and Colette in the final of an extreme reality television competition, after a succession of public humiliations. Its question is blunt: what is the price of “victory” in the age of social media?

The pairing creates an intriguing contrast. Habibi looks towards collective creation within a supportive community setting; Golden Mirror imagines a contest in which exposure and humiliation become part of the spectacle. That is a reading of their published premises, rather than a claim that the two films offer identical arguments.

For a queer audience familiar with drag’s growing screen presence, it opens a worthwhile conversation: visibility can offer opportunity, but what kind of environment is being built around the performer?

A Brussels screening with the filmmakers

The event announces the attendance of Nour Beetch and Nicky Lapierre. Florent Gouëlou is also listed, subject to confirmation. It is a chance to encounter both projects in the same room as their makers, although the published listing does not specify a formal discussion format.

For Brussels audiences, the evening also connects a documentary about a Parisian community venue with a new Belgian fiction short. The common thread is not one style of drag, but the relationship between performance, its audience and the structures surrounding it.

Practical information

• Programme: Habibi, chanson pour mes ami·e·s + Golden Mirror.
• Date: Thursday 29 October 2026.
• Time: 7:15pm.
• Venue: Cinéma Aventure, Salle 1, Galerie du Centre 57, 1000 Brussels.visit+1
• Language: Both films are presented in French with English subtitles.
• Films: Habibi — Florent Gouëlou, France, 2024, documentary; Golden Mirror — Nour Beetch and Nicky L. Lapierre, Belgium, 2026, fiction, 18 minutes. The event lists Habibi at 79 minutes, while its producer gives 80 minutes.
• Guests: Nour Beetch and Nicky Lapierre are announced; Florent Gouëlou’s attendance remains subject to confirmation.
• Tickets: The screening is listed at €8–€10 by the local agenda Oazis. Check the cinema’s booking page for the applicable rate and availability.
• Accessibility: The supplied event information does not detail step-free access, accessible seating or additional access provisions. Confirm specific requirements with the cinema before booking.
• Further reading: Explore the visit.brussels event listing and the producer’s presentation of Habibi.

Two films, two very different stages — and an evening to look beyond the spotlight at what it takes to keep queer creativity alive.

KET Magazine is a community‑driven, non‑profit magazine run by volunteers and based in Brussels. You can find our other music and nightlife stories on ket.brussels, and you can always write to us to share your projects or pitch a story: info@ket.brussels