Sabah (2005)

One day, when Sabah least expects it, she falls in love with the wrong man. She's Muslim, he's not. Unbeknownst to her family, she goes on a whirlwind affair before both culture and love collide.

Director:

Ruba Nadda

Writer:

Ruba Nadda

Stars:

Arsinée Khanjian, Shawn Doyle, Fadia Nadda

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Arsinée Khanjian	...	Sabah
Shawn Doyle	...	Stephen
Fadia Nadda	...	Souhaire
Jeff Seymour	...	Majid
Kathryn Winslow	...	Amal
David Alpay	...	Mustafa
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aaron Abrams	...	Paramedic
Kaylen Christensen	...	Girlfriend
Setta Keshishian	...	Um Mouhammed - Sabah's Mother
Roula Said	...	Shaheera

Storyline

Sabah is 40, single, an immigrant from Syria living in Toronto with her family, responsible for her mother's well-being. Since her father's death, her brother Majid has been the family authority. His niece doesn't want him choosing her husband, his marriage is rocky, but he insists on tradition. Sabah meets Stephen at a city swimming pool; they're attracted to each other. Because he's not a Muslim, Sabah hides their friendship from her family. Where can this relationship go? Can this family sort out its tensions?

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Plot Keywords:

muslim | love | swimming pool | canada | culture clash | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

TL Boulton Productions Ltd

Country:

Canada

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

27 May 2005 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Coldwater

Company Credits

Production Co:

T. L. Boulton

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Prague) where Ruba is also sitting as a juror for the Competitive films, Commonwealth Film Festival (Manchester), Durban Film Festival (South Africa), Seattle International Film Festival (US), Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival (Brazil), Talk Cinema (Toronto International Film Festival) and Warsaw International Film Festival (Poland).

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Connections

Referenced in Allemaal film: De amerikaanse droom (2007)

User Reviews

Excellent film, very, very entertaining, sweet, and funny.

I just came back from seeing this movie at a private screening (the film is supposed to open in theaters in Canada end of May). I thought it was spectacular. The film is about a 40 year old Arab woman (beautifully played by Arsinee Khanjian) who is Muslim and traditional and still living with her mother and overbearing family who falls in love one day with a Caucasian man. The movie left me feeling completely exhilarated. I've had many Muslim friends and to date they're culture and life has never been accurately portrayed. This film shows another side to the culture; a more universal side. I loved it. It was incredibly entertaining. It's a serious subject matter but it has been dealt with in such a humorous way that at times, I found myself not only laughing but clapping throughout the film as well. The audience around me were really into this film too. The belly dancing made me want to get up and dance and the classic way the film was shot was reminiscent of Breakfast at Tiffany's. I want to buy the soundtrack and the DVD when it comes out! Arsinee Khanjian was alive, vulnerable and quite stunning. She jumped off the screen. I really liked Shawn Doyle too who played the love interest. He played him in a very natural, sweet way. This has got to be Ms. Khanjian's best performance to date. This film is definitely the best Canadian film to come out this year.