The World Unseen
7 /10 1 Votes
Initial DVD release May 18, 2010 Duration Language English | 6.8/10 IMDb Genre Drama Country South AfricaUnited Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date September 9, 2007 (2007-09-09) (Toronto International Film Festival) Cast (Miriam), (Amina Harjan), (Omar), (Rehmat), (Jacob), Grethe Fox (Madeleine)Similar movies Just a Question of Love , Je t'aime moi non plus , Les Invisibles , Sexual Chronicles of a French Family , Beautiful Thing , Independence Day | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The world unseen official uk trailer
In 1950s Cape Town, progressive and free Amina (Sheetal Sheth) co-owns a cafe with a black man named Jacob. One day, a beautiful housewife named Miriam (Lisa Ray) visits the cafe, and Amina is instantly smitten. Miriam runs a store outside of town with her husband, Omar (Parvin Dabbas), and feels increasingly stifled in her conventional life. She cannot help but give in to her desire when Amina comes calling.
Contents
The World Unseen is a 2007 historical drama film written and directed by Shamim Sarif, adapted from her own novel. The film is set in 1950s Cape Town, South Africa during the beginning of apartheid. The film stars Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth as two Indian South African women who fall in love in a racist, sexist, and homophobic society.
Ray and Sheth also star together in another Shamim Sarif movie, I Cant Think Straight, released in November 2007.
The World Unseen was made with the assistance of the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, which took a minority equity stake in the film.
A drama centered on two women who engage in a dangerous relationship during South Africa's apartheid era.
Synopsis
In 1950s South Africa, a land torn apart by apartheid, Amina epitomizes individuality and freedom. She runs the Location Cafe, a haven of fun, food, and festivities open to all. Amina defines her own laws and lives on her own terms undeterred by the reproving police and the disparaging Indian community.
Miriam demurely follows conventions and makes no demands on life. Her world is confined to being a doting mother to her three children and a subservient wife to her chauvinistic husband Omar.
Amina has a covert business partner, Jacob, who is barred from owning a business because he is ‘coloured. He fancies Madeleine, a local white postmistress, but the indignities and injustices of the prevalent law thwart their desire to pursue a relationship.
Omar’s sister Rehmat married a white man against rules that forbid mixed marriages. When she needs protection from police, Amina shelters her, and her charm and strength of character captivate Miriam, who secretly rejoices when Amina accepts a farming job in her backyard. Amina notices Miriam’s inherent kindness and silent dedication, and the mutual attraction between them grows. They bare their hearts to each other and their emotions get entangled. They contrive another reason to meet: driving lessons.
The inescapable social distance between them makes them question their feelings, but in the midst of hatred and oppression their only refuge is love.
In the resplendent South African landscape with retro music strewn in the background, The World Unseen explores Miriam’s relationship with Amina and how it empowers her to make personal choices that change her world.
Cast
Critics
The film was very positively reviewed by the gay and lesbian media, with AfterEllen.com calling it "one of the best-conceived queer films of the past year – a sincere, beautifully realized vision of love and resistance in an intolerant world." The movie also enjoyed a warm reception in South Africa, winning 11 awards at the SAFTAs including Best Director and Best Writing Team. However, the film was almost universally panned by critics at large, receiving a 25% "rotten" score and an average rating of 4.6 on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Similar Movies
Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth appear in The World Unseen and I Can’t Think Straight. Skin (2008). In My Country (2004). Proteus (2003). Red Dust (2004).
Awards and honours
References
The World Unseen WikipediaThe World Unseen IMDb The World Unseen themoviedb.org