Free-spirited Amina (Lisa Ray) has broken all the rules of her own conventional Indian community and the new apartheid government in 1950s South Africa by running a café with her ‘coloured' business partner. When she meets Miriam, a young traditional wife and mother, their unexpected attraction pushes Miriam to question the rules that bind her. When Amina helps Miriam's sister-in-law to hide from the police, a chain of events is set in motion that changes both women forever. But what chance is there for a love between two women to survive in a country where tolerance has been turned into a crime? This compellingly acted romantic drama creates a vibrant palette of universal emotions, where the South African landscape and jazz music of the day also add their own shades of colour.

South Africa | 2007 | 94 min
Running Time: 94 minutes, 35mm film, icolor, aspect ratio 1.85 flat, Dolby 6 track, in English

Director: Shamim Sarif
Composer: Richard Blackford
Cinematographer: Mike Downie

Producer: Hanan Kattan
Executive Producer: Katherine Priestley
Executive Producer: Lisa Tchenguiz
Co-Producer: Brigid Olen
Associate Producer: Daisy Allsop

Cast
Lisa Ray (Miriam)
Sheetal Sheth (Amina)
Parvin Dabas (Omar)
David Dennis (Jacob)
Grethe Fox (Madeleine)


INTERNATIONAL RELEASES
UK DVD - April 10th, 2009
UK Theatrical: Apr 3rd, 2009
SOUTH AFRICA - Feb 13th, 2009
GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND & LICHTENSTEIN - Jan 15th, 2009
USA & Canada - NOV. 7th, 2008


Awards
2009 South African Film and Television Awards: Best Director, Best Cinematographer, Best Editor

2008 Phoenix International Film Festival (USA): World Cinema Best Director

2008 Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (USA): Audience Awards, Best Feature

"A moving exploration of forbidden love blended with a fascinating account of a shameful period in modern history."
Melbourne Queer Festival



FESTIVALS


2011
The Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw Poland, 2nd to 4th April


2010
'El Lugar Sins Limites' Festival, Ecuador, 19th to 28th November

South Asian Queer Festival, Sydney, Australia, 19th Sept

Kansai Queer Film Festival, Japan, Sept

Europride Festival, Poland, July 2010

Festival de Cine LesGaiCinePty, San Jose, Panama, 23rd to 30th June

WGO, Bordeaux, June 19th - HANAN AND SHAMIM TO ATTEND

Diversa, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 3rd to 9th June

Diversidad, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, 12th to 19th May

IDAM Queer Festival, Kerala, India, 13th-14th May


2009
Florence Queer Festival, Italy - Nov. 27-Dec. 1, 2009
Zinemakumeak, Bilboa Spain - Nov. 5-14, 2009
Madrid Mstoles Intl Film Festival - Oct. 19-25, 2009
Copenhagen Gay & Lesbian Film Festival - Oct. 16-25, 2009

Asian Queer Film Festival, Tokyo - Sep 19th-23rd, 2009

Ciclo Rosa, Cali - Aug 26th-30th, 2009

Ciclo Rosa, Medellin - Aug 19th-23rd, 2009

Ciclo Rosa, Bogota - Aug 12th to 17th, 2009

Sannio Film Festival - July 23rd to 30th, 2009

London, BFI - June 27th & 30th, 2009

Tel Aviv International LGBT Film - June 23rd-27th, 2009

Ibiza, Festival Del Mar - June 19th-27th, 2009

Majorca, Festival Del Mar - June 4th-13th, 2009
New Zealand Out Takes (Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch) - May 21st - June 10th, 2009
Grenoble Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (France) - April 14th-21st, 2009
Manchester, UK - cancer charity screening - March 21st, 2009
Cascade Festival of African Films, Portland - March 5th & 7th, 2009
Zinegoak, International GLT Film Festival, Bilbao (Spain)
International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Of Canary Islands
Brussels Gay & Lesbian Film Festival


2008
Amsterdam Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
Ljubljana G & L Film Festival, Slovenia
Belfast L&G Film Festival
Long Island GLFF
Out Takes, Dallas
Gender Bender Festival, Italy
Paris Lesbian & Feminist Film Festival
Atlanta Indo-American Film Festival
Paris Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (Delaware)
Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival
Honolulu Film Festival
Fresno Reel Pride
Pikes Peak Lavender Film Festival, Colorado Springs
New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest
Kansas Int'l Film Festival
Tasveer, Seattle
Northampton Int'l LGBT Film Series
Closet Cinema, Southwest G&L Film Festival
Tampa Clip Film Festival
ImageOut, the Rochester LGBT Film and Video Festival
Sacramento Int'l G&L Film Festival
Bremen Queer Film Festival, Germany
Lesgaicinevox, Argentina
San Diego Asian Film Festival
Pittsburgh Int'l L&G Film Festival
Reel Affirmations, D.C.
Hannover L&G Film Festival, Germany
Hamburg Int'l Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Germany
Toronto Film Festival
The Times BFI Film Festival (London)
Phoenix Film Festival - winner, Best Director World Cinema
Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival - Audience Award, Best Feature
Pan African Film Festival, Los Angeles - nominated, Best Feature
Tongues on Fire (London) - Opening Gala Special Screening
Female Eye Film Festival (Toronto) - Closing Night Gala Feature
London L&G Film Festival - selected by Interbank Forum members as their special screening
Melbourne Queer Film Festival
GlamFest - Perth G&L Film Festival
Mardi Gras Film Festival (Sydney)
Atlanta Film Festival
International Women's Film Festival in Seoul
Panafricana Film Festival, Italy
Int'l G&L Festival for Audio-Visual Art of Andalusia IDEM (Spain)
Tiburon Int'l Film Festival
Belfast Film Festival
Verzaubert Int'l Queer Film Festival (Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne and Berlin)
Mpls./St. Paul Int'l Film Festival
Clip Film Festival, Tampa
G&L Film festival Pink Apple in Zurich
I Will Tell (London)
Boston G&L Film Festival
Portland Women's Film Festival
Inside Out Toronto L&G Film and Video Festival
Louisville G&L Film Series, KY
Connecticut G&L Film Festival
NewFest: The New York LGBT Film Festival
San Francisco Int'l LGBT Film Festival
Oslo G&L Film Festival
Hungarian LGBT Festival
Philadelphia Int'l G&L Film Festival
Outfest, Los Angeles
PAFF Atlanta
Durban Int'l Film Festival
Dublin L&G Film Festival
North Carolina G&L Film Festival - Women's Centerpiece Film
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival
BAMCinematek/Best of NewFest Series, NY


MARKETS
European Film Market 2009

________________

Un'intensa storia d'amore saffico, ambientata nel Sudafrica degli anni Cinquanta, all'inizio dell'era dell'apartheid. Amina si ribella contro le tradizioni della sua comunità e contro il regime razziale, aprendo un caffè con il suo amico e socio nero, Jacob. Quando incontra Miriam, una passione inaspettata cambierà per sempre le due donne. Opera prima della scrittrice sudafricana di origine indiana Shamim Sarif, il film è l'adattamento del suo omonimo romanzo, con il quale ha ricevuto prestigiosi premi in Sudafrica e in Gran Bretagna. Lisa Ray è la protagonista di Water, il film a causa del quale la regista Deepa Mehta è stata minacciata dagli integralisti indù.

THE WORLD UNSEEN
di Shamim Sarif
Sudafrica/Gran Bretagna, 2007, 112'



Sceneggiatura: Shamim Sarif, dal suo romanzo omonimo;
fotografia: Michael Downie;
montaggio: Ronelle Loots;
suono: Rajendra Hegde;
musica: Shigeru Umebayashi;
interpreti: Lisa Ray, Sheetal Sheth, Parvin Dabas, Nandana Sen, David Dennis, Grethe Fox;

formato: Betacam, inglese con sottotitoli italiani
Produzione: Enlightenment Production, DO Productions

-

SHAMIM SARIF
Shamim Sarif ha studiato letteratura inglese all'Università di Londra e alla Boston University. Ha scritto diversi racconti, tra cui Despite the Falling Snow, pubblicato nel 2004. Adattamento cinematografico del suo primo romanzo - con il quale ha ottenuto numerosi riconoscimenti - il film THE WORLD UNSEEN è la sua opera prima.

Source:
http://www.panafricana.it/spip.php?article481

__________

FINLANDAIS
Amina on vapaa sielu, joka rikkoo sekä konservatiivisen intialaisyhteisönsä että apartheid-järjestelmän säännöt perustaessaan kahvilan "värillisen" miehen kanssa 1950-luvun Etelä-Afrikassa. Kahvilasta tulee viihtyisä harmaa alue kaikille, jotka eivät sovi hallituksen mustavalkoiseen politiikkaan.

Miriam taas on lapsilleen ja aviomiehelleen omistautunut perinteinen perheenäiti, joka alkaa nähdä elämänsä uudessa valossa tutustuessaan sukupuolirooleja ja rotuerottelua uhmaavaan Aminaan. Kun Amina auttaa Miriamin sukulaista piiloutumaan poliisilta, käynnistyy tapahtumien ketju, joka muuttaa molempien naisten elämän. Onko kahden naisen odottamattomalla rakkaudella mahdollisuuksia maassa, jossa suvaitsevaisuudesta on tehty rikos?

Vahvasti näytelty romanttinen draama luo universaalin tunteiden paletin, johon aikakauden jazz-musiikki ja Etelä-Afrikan vangitsevat maisemat tuovat oman lisävärinsä.

Etelä-Afrikka | 2007 | 94 min
Elokuva on englanninkielinen.

Ohjaaja: Shamim Sarif

Source:
http://haff.fi/fi/elokuvat/item/37-the-world-unseen/37-the-world-unseen