How We Loved, How We Broke
Love arrives in many forms, and heartbreak rarely leaves without a trace. How We Loved, How We Broke brings together six short films that explore intimacy, longing, separation, and survival. Each story reveals a different facet of queer connection, from fleeting encounters and deep ruptures to surreal escapes and quiet acts of care.
Spanning cities, languages, and emotional landscapes, this programme offers a tender and vivid reflection on the ways queer people love, lose, remember, and move forward. Whether anchored in reality or slipping into fantasy, these films speak to the complexity of queer relationships and the echoes they leave behind.
Following the screening, join us for a live performance by Glasgow-based artists Simone Seales and Mele Broomes, sharing new music from their upcoming album inspired by experiences of first love.
Curated by Huss.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £4, £8, £12, £16, or £20, in order to make SQIFF more accessible to those on a low income. You can choose what you pay based on your circumstances – you won’t be asked for any proof/ID. We just ask that you are honest! Please find the ‘What Should I Pay?’ guidance here. To book your ticket for this event, click here.
Accessibility
This programme has:
- Arabic, English, French, Mandarin Chinese, Persian, Tagalog, Yue Chinese (Cantonese) audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
- English-BSL interpretation for introduction and performance
- Live Captioning for introduction and performance
This screening is 98 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 18+.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2025 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2025, please get in touch with us at [email protected] or by phone on 07873 331 036.
Films in this programme include:
Aliens In Beirut, Dir. Raghed Charabaty, 2025, Lebanon, 17 min
A Lebanese immigrant returns to Beirut for the first time in a decade, only to find love and horror by the sea, in the alleyways, and on the elusive rooftops of the city – right before the 2020 Beirut Port Explosion.
Content notes: Depiction of cigarette use, destruction, explosion. Discussion of homophobia, war.
At Least We Had This Moment, Dir. Joshua de Vera, 2025, Philippines, 20 min
In his quest to capture the aged architecture of Manila, film photographer Dino seeks the company of a local stranger, Vince. But as the city noises grew, their stories stood out.
Content notes: Depiction of cigarette use.
Earworm, Dir. Ilias Merabiha, 2025, France, Germany, 11 min
Tormented Gaspard battles a parasitic worm feeding on his grief after romance ends, undergoing cathartic metamorphosis through healing rituals.
EDEN (باغ عدن), Dir. Rustin Zam-Zam Madadi, 2024, United States of America, 10 min
In the sun-soaked suburbs of Orange County, CA, Roya returns home seeking a fresh start, only to become entangled in a web of desire at an all-women’s yoga studio with their trans masculine counterpart. As loyalties shift and old wounds resurface, the studio transforms into a battleground where love and hate collide.
Fortune Favours the Fantabulous, Dir. Emmanuel Li, 2023, United Kingdom, 25 min
Non-binary fortune teller Fei Liu’s marsh tent becomes invaded by phantoms over three days, threatening their reality and future.
Purebred, Dir. Caleb J. Roberts, 2025, Ireland, United Kingdom, 15 min
During a heatwave in Belfast, transgender man Owen returns to the flat of his on-off-again lover Seán after taking a pregnancy test.
Content notes: Depiction of non-explicit nudity, sex scenes, strong language use. Discussion of pregnancy.
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Supported by Screen Scotland, the BFI Audience Projects Fund and Film Hub Scotland (part of the BFI Film Audience Network), all awarding National Lottery funding.
Image Credit: Aliens In Beirut, Dir. Raghed Charabaty, 2025