Adapted from Saeed Teebi’s short story "Cynthia," NADER’S GIRL is a darkly funny and sometimes disturbing exploration of masculinity, assimilation and performative allyship. It follows a lonely Palestinian international student, Nader (Anas Hasan), desperate to fit in with his Western roommates—two misogynistic bros who exploit him for rent and performative solidarity during a wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests. Hoping to earn their respect, Nader invents a girlfriend named "Cynthia" (Megan Tracz). At first a fantasy of self-validation, Cynthia gradually devolves into a warped projection of Nader’s insecurities as a foreigner. But as reality blurs, he must decide whether to end the illusion or keep clinging to the only 'person' who values him.
