Mr. Gay Syria (Halepli Berber)

Halepli Berber, internationally known as Mr. Gay Syria, is a 2017 documentary written and directed by journalist-turned-filmmaker Ayşe Toprak. A Turkish-German-French co-production running about 88 minutes, it is classified as an LGBTQ-themed documentary drama.

The film follows Husein, a young Syrian refugee working as a barber in Istanbul while awaiting resettlement in Europe, and Mahmoud, a Berlin-based founder of the Syrian LGBTI movement. Their intertwined journey, built around the "Mr Gay Syria" beauty pageant, weaves together themes of exile and identity.

The documentary won the SİYAD award at an Istanbul competition around its release and went on to pick up further honors at the Sarajevo and Chicago film festivals.