A New Day in Old Sana'a (2006)

A young photographer, Tariq, must choose between his love and his duty of this aristocratic family. He can either run away with his lover, an orphan from the lower class, or go through with his arranged marriage to the daughter of a judge.

Director:

Bader Ben Hirsi

Writer:

Bader Ben Hirsi

Stars:

Nabil Saber, Dania Hammoud, Paolo Romano

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nabil Saber	...	Tariq
Dania Hammoud	...	Ines
Paolo Romano	...	Federico
Sahar Alasbahi	...	Amal
Redha Khoder	...	Bilquis
Amal Ismail	...	Hesiba
Tawquir Iskandar	...	Ravi
Najla Atef	...	Gheda
Yehia Ibrahim	...	The Chief of Police
Fawziya Al Asbahi	...	Noor / Hajja
Faten Abdoub Rebic Al-Nabhani	...	Maya
Ghaima Saleh	...	Amani
Mona Alasbahi	...	Khadija
Yemen Abdullah	...	Fathoum
Ousama Alhadi	...	Yaseen

Storyline

In this achingly romantic tale, handsome young Tariq is about to marry Bilquis, eldest daughter of a prominent and powerful judge. But as he wanders the ancient city of Sana'a late one night, he spots a beautiful young woman dancing in the street and falls madly in love with her. Before long, the young groom must choose between following his heart and protecting his family's honor. Filmed entirely on location in the ancient city of Sana'a, this exquisite film is the first feature ever to come out of Yemen.

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Plot Keywords:

photographer | orphan | yemen | veil | gypsy | 

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Taglines:

One man must choose between marriage and tradition...or true love and the unknown

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

UK Yemen

Language:

Arabic English

Release Date:

10 November 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mia nea mera stin palia Sana'a

Filming Locations:

San'a, Yemen

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$401 (USA) (10 November 2006)

Gross:

$401 (USA) (10 November 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Felix Films Entertainment, Yemen Media Centre

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Casting the lead actress proved very difficult as most Yemeni women worried that appearing in a film would hurt their prospects of marriage. A Lebanese actress was cast.

User Reviews

A fetching film showing Yemeni peoples' lives from the inside out

I enjoyed this film, for the timeless story, comedic timing, and broad interest to audiences around the globe. I'm considering it for a film festival I'm organizing, and to have the opportunity to show Yemen as it appears in real life is priceless. Some of the characters are indeed caricatures, but the story still stands, and it's fun to watch. I found myself drawn in until the very end, but I must confess I hated the ending. I think it was probably due to disagreements and/or government restrictions that necessitated the ending, but won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it. View it as a sweet introduction to life in an under-represented part of the world, when it comes to cinema.