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Reviews

 

Acclaim for The World Unseen Film


"The World Unseen is a small film that packs quite a punch. It covers the personal and the political, but is never heavy-handed...A film fest favourite (and prize winner), The World Unseen is engaging and intelligent."

Toronto Sun

 

"The World Unseen is...a sincere, beautifully realized vision of love and resistance in an intolerant world. Sarif does a fantastic job - especially for a first-time director - of bringing her story to the screen"

AfterEllen.com

 

"The World Unseen is a touching love story... In her directorial debut, Sarif makes the transition from novel to big screen utterly seamless, depicting romantic love that transcends its racist, sexist and homophobic surroundings."
IndieExpress.com

 

"I was literally on the edge of my seat. Go see this great movie. You'll be rewarded with nearly two hours of great film-making and acting as well as an uplifting story that you'll look back on fondly."
Mark's List

 

"[Lisa] Ray is particularly remarkable as a woman who is truly torn between familiar oppression and a freedom so unthinkable that it frightens her. The film's happy ending is graceful, absent of grandiosity or too much finality. It offers genuine reassurance, convincingly suggesting that one small individual action, while not a panacea, can be the difference between hope and despair."

Justout.com

 

"Beautiful, heartwarming... The World Unseen deftly challenges racial and gender stereotypes, but manages to tell an engaging story that stays with the viewer long after the final credits."
The Cape Times

 

"A touching, fascinating drama... a definite 2009 must-see... an exquisite film. It takes a film like The World Unseen to make you truly appreciate cinema all over again."
Bizcommunity.com

 

"Slow burning and sensual, The World Unseen contains what must be one of the steamiest screen kisses of this year's Festival, but is much more than that. It's a moving exploration of forbidden love blended with a fascinating account of a shameful period in modern history."

Melbourne Queer Festival

 

"An engaging and beautifully executed story..."
Jasmyne Cannick, PAFF Los Angeles

 

"Sarif brings more than a dozen interconnected characters to life... and is a deft enough storyteller to give The World Unseen an open ending that seems just right."
LA Times

 

"...a rare combination of intricate character study and engaging narrative."
British Film Institute

 

"The World Unseen contains not one but two of this year's steamiest screen kisses."
Cameron Bailey, Co-Director, Toronto International Film Festival

 

"...a compelling and complex story... done with grace and style. Fine writing, beautiful cinematography and great acting by all."
Mark Moorhead, Phoenix Film Critics Society

 

"Lisa Ray is a magnificent actress"
LA Weekly

 

"An enjoyable, gorgeously shot melodrama"
TimeOut, Chicago

 

"a tender, tentative, and beguiling romance. The setting of South Africa and the oppressiveness of apartheid form the backdrop of this compelling drama..."
Spirituality & Practice

 

"Lisa Ray's...Miriam goes from a subordinate to an empowered woman with slowly distilled grace and sincerity."
Slant Magazine

 

"...visual poetry..."
Variety

 

"...makes a quiet impact... the story is well-paced and the acting is generally excellent."
Film Journal.com

 

"...lushly photographed, meticulously appointed period melodrama about life in 1950s South Africa..."
Hollywood Reporter

 

"Sarif has created a haunting film that is expertly handled from beginning to end...and a pleasure to watch"

Edge Boston

 

"In what is a beautifully painted portrait of small town South Africa during the Apartheid era, Shamim Sarif's film about two women who fall in love under a state of oppression, is a well balanced work of art."
Iafrica.com

 

"A gripping movie... The direction is sober and open-minded and the recreation of the era is spot-on"
Drum Magazine

 

"Subtle and rather beautiful... a touching, likeable human story."
Notcoming.com

 

"Writer/director Shamim Sarif sheds new light on an often-covered scenario by showing what lies in the harsh brightness of reality but also allowing us to glimpse what resides in the mysterious shadows of dreams..and still allows the softest, most candid emotional moments to shine through" Campus Circle


"Brilliant...I was deeply moved by this film, its lyrical layering, beautiful cinematography, and inspiring message of courage and passion." About.com

 

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