The best way to overcome cultural taboos is for people to learn how not to be afraid to overcome the silence their society has enforced for generations about those subjects. That’s a vital theme in the new drama, ‘El Houb,’ whose story is based on the personal experiences of its lead actor, Fahd Larhzaoui, had with coming out to his family.

El Houb, which means the love, focuses on the silent culture the film’s writer-director, Shariff Nasr, has observed in Arabic families – not only about homosexuality, but cultural taboos in general. The helmer co-scribed ‘El Houb’s script with Philip Delmaar and Larhzaoui. The actor is joined on screen by co-stars Lubna Azabal and Slimane Dazi.

Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment are set to release the movie in theaters in L.A. on March 31. The distributors will then unveil the movie on Digital and DVD on April 11.

While discussing ‘El Houb,’ Nasr said: “It is fantastic to be able to work with internationally renowned actors like Lubna Azabal and Slimane Dazi. Lubna underwent an intense metamorphosis to realistically portray the role of the elderly mother and Slimane went through an intensive process to speak fluent Darija Arabic in the film. Thanks to their efforts and enormous commitment, they, along with Fahd Larhzaoui and Sabri Saddik, form a close-knit family in ‘El Houb’ that draws the viewer into this intense story.”

In ‘El Houb,’ Moroccan-Dutch Karim (Larhzaoui) tells his parents, Fatima and Abbas (Azabal and Dazi), that he is attracted to men. After years of keeping up appearances, the word is finally out. The difficult days that follow evoke beautiful and poignant memories. He realizes that he has to confront his family to finally break the silence. But in order to be accepted, he must come to terms with his own feelings first.