In the 2000s, regional cinema grew a lot as some directors started discussing certain taboo topics such as homosexuality and transsexuality. A film released in the year 2000, "Room to rent" (Khaled al-Haggar)"," is about an Egyptian man called Ali who is studying in London. He becomes friends with Mark, a gay photographer. This creates a fresh perspective on sexuality and socially prescribed sexual roles. The 2002 film "Une minute de Soleil en moins," directed by Nabil Ayouch depicts a police inspector who starts a friendship with a transvestite. These are quite well-known examples, but other films that critique sexual repression of queer people more obviously did not reach such a wide audience. Examples are the Lebanese "How much I love you" by Akram Zaatari and Palestinian Tawfik Abu Wad's "Diary of a Male Whore". 