I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced

Heart rending Yemeni movie “I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced” (2014) directed by Khadija-Al-Salami and starring Reham Mohammed and Adnan Alkhader among others.

This is a true story that happened in Yemen of Nujood Ali who was married off at age nine to a man who was thirty years old. She was repeatedly abused and sexually assaulted by her husband and treated badly by her in laws. She was made to clean the house, fetch the water from the pond, cook food all at a tender age.

She did not want to get married and on the marriage day she was carrying a doll. When she got a chance, she escaped and went off to a court to seek divorce from her husband. A kindly judge heard her story, took pity on her and allowed her to stay in his house with his wife and daughter.

The trial became a sensation in Yemen as she was the youngest ever to be granted a divorce. She had her father and husband arrested and the father narrated his part of the story that she was married off, because his other daughter was raped and had to be forcibly married to the rapist.

In Yemen the local tribal customs and culture prevailed and allowed child marriage. But the court took a strict view and gave divorce to Nujood Ali. A lot of Muslim social movies are coming out of the Arab world itself. Previously India used to produce many Muslim socials but in the last 3 to 4 decades we are not seeing any such movies.

Brilliant acting by Reham Mohammed as the young Nojoom and superb cinematography as well. Director Khadija Al-Salami has not deviated much from the original plot and kept it simple. Must watch movie. IMDB 7/10

Arabian Sands

Pathbreaking Emirati movie “Arabian Sands” (2008) directed by Majid Abdulrazak and starring also himself. 

Its based on the well known travel writer Wilfred Thesiger’s book “Arabian Sands” Wilfred travelled across the empty quarter of the Arabian peninsula and he had Bedus for company. He learnt a lot during his painstaking travels across the treacherous desert. 

The movie is like a documentary with narration and few dialogues. They have tried to recreate the path taken by Thesiger and thrown in a few elements of risk and adventure. 

He made two crossings of the region between the years 1945 to 1950. The movie tries to get as close as possible to the book and faithfully at that. The movie is only the second Emirati movie to be made and Majid the first Emirate film maker to adapt a book into a movie. 

The camera work and cinematography is quite good and shows the desert in all its colour. The crew has done some good work with the camels also. IMDB 3/10

Bab’Aziz

The third and last film in his desert trilogy “Bab’Aziz: The prince who contemplated his soul” by Tunisian Director Nacer Khemir, is visually stunning and contemplative. 

Nacer Khemir has infused the movie with Sufi themes and beautifully melodious Sufi music and culture. I could discern some element of Indian sub continent influence in the music especially with the strains of sitar.

Its a story of a blind dervish Bab’Aziz (Parviz Shahinkhou) and his granddaughter Ishtar (Maryam Hamid) as they travel across the sand dunes to a gathering of dervishes. On the way Bab’Aziz narrates the story of a prince who follows a gazelle leaving behind his life of luxury. He is found later gazing into a pool of water. A dervish watching him explains that he is contemplating his soul. 

Then there are other stories like that of Zaid (Nessim Khaloul) who is a gifted singer and he is searching for Noor (Golshifteh Farahani) who has tears in her eyes, when Zaid sings a poem which was composed by her father. 

There is also Osman (Mohamed Graiaa) who falls into a well and discovers a palace full of beautiful women. Bab’Aziz knows the desert very well and though Ishtar is concerned that they could be lost, he says those who have faith will find their way. 

There is a Sufi gathering towards the end with beautiful enchanting music. Nacer Khemir has made a breathtakingly beautiful movie and the background score is exceedingly ethereal. All three of Khemir’s desert trilogy is eminently watchable and to be understand in its proper context. 

Both Parviz Shahinkhou and Maryam Hamid have acted quite superbly for their role in the movie. IMDB 6/10

The Dove’s Lost Necklace

The second part of Nacer Khemir’s desert trilogy “The Dove’s Lost Necklace” (1994), a Tunisian film starring Navin Chowdhry, Walid Arakji, Nina Esber among others.

Hassan (Navin Chowdhry) is learning Arabic calligraphy and on a quest for true love. He is learning the 60 words for love prescribed in Arabic literature and has so far found 35 of them.

Zin (Walid Arakji) is a young kid who is a son of a djinn but everybody calls him a bastard. He delivers love messages for money and so that Prince Haroun, the prince trapped in a monkey becomes real again.

They find a half burnt manuscript which reveals of a lament of Princess Samarkhand. Hassan is looking for that book which talks about true love but the store room in which they look for the book is burnt down.

He finally finds Aziz (Nina Esber) the beautiful Princess of Samarkand and then loses her. Nacer Khemir has created a magnificent and enchanting story rich in metaphor and with a visual imagery stunning for all its beauty. The camera work and cinematography capturing the Arabian architecture and landscape is breathtaking. The rich Arabian music enriches the story to perfection.

Walid Arakji is a stunner of an actor, a young child, with a naughty smile and lots of energy. Navin Chowdhry has done a good role but it is Nina Esber who captures the screen presence with her ravisihing good looks and beauty. IMDB 6/10

Wanderers of the Desert

First part of a three part Desert trilogy “Wanderers of the Desert”, a Tunisian film by writer/ director Nacer Khemir and starring Nacer Khemir, Souflane Makni, Noureddine Kasbaoui, Hedi Daoud and Sonia Ichti among others.

A young teacher arrives in a remote village of which many have not heard of. When he arrives, the villagers welcome him, but there is no school building.

The teacher is told that the young men of the village go around wandering in the desert like a ghost due to a curse. Once a year the wanderers come back and the teacher is given a book which he has to make them read so that the curse will be broken.

There is lot of mystery and mystique in the story. A young kid breaks all the mirrors in the village in order to make a garden. There is a beautiful young girl who comes in front of the teacher and makes some hand movements.

One villager is digging for a treasure for 50 years but finds nothing and dies. Suddenly a boat appears in the desert and the police arrives to investigate the sudden disappearance of the teacher.

Its not a linear story line but quite a fable mixing up Arabian culture, mysticism, folklore, legend with some stunning desert visuals and hauntingly melodious Tunisian music. Without the credits, it is difficult to know the characters, but the young kid is quite a devil in the movie.

Nacer Khemir manages to captivate the audience with the never ending suspense. Viewers are trying to piece together the various scenes in order to make a context out of the story. IMDB 4/10