The New Arab meets Jude Chehab, award-winning director of documentary 'Q'

Jude Chehab’s documentary feature ‘Q’ delves into her family’s personal history.

Born in the US but growing up in Beirut from ages 10-18, Chehab was, like her mother, part of the Qubaysiat, a “regime-loving Sufis turned cult”.

In Q, Chehab investigates her mother's adherence to the highly secretive, all-female religious sect in Syria and examines how their mother-daughter relationship and the dynamics of the entire family were upended by this devotion. Q has been attracting praise on the festival circuit around the world, including the recent Sheffield Doc Fest in the UK, regarded as one of the world’s biggest documentary festivals.

There, Chehab won the Grand Jury Award for the International First Feature Competition. The New Arab video journalist Reem Khabbazy met Chehab for an exclusive interview on the film, touching on her personal link to the Qubaysiat and how the community feels about ‘Q’.

Video by Reem Khabbazy

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Screening the secrets of a cultish matriarchal Muslim order

Jude Chehab's debut film deep dives into the hidden mysteries of the Al-Qubaysiat, the secretive Muslim women's organisation. Premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, the documentary reveals how her mother and grandmother became entangled with the group.