Yasmin (2004)

A young Muslim woman living in Britain campaigns for the release of her immigrant husband from his detainment in a holding centre.

Director:

Kenneth Glenaan

Writer:

Simon Beaufoy

Stars:

Archie Panjabi, Renu Setna, Steve Jackson

6 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Archie Panjabi	...	Yasmin Husseini
Renu Setna	...	Khalid
Steve Jackson	...	John
Syed Ahmed	...	Nasir
Shahid Ahmed	...	Faysal Husseini
Badi Uzzaman	...	Hassan
Amar Hussain	...	Kamal
Joanna Booth	...	Cheryl
Emma Ashton	...	Sam
Rae Kelly Hill	...	Wendy (as Rae Kelly)
Tammy Barker	...	Anna
Suraj Dass	...	Kashiff
Miriam Ali	...	Amina
Mary Wray	...	Mary
Joyce Kennedy	...	Bobby

Storyline

In England, the Pakistanis Yasmin lives two lives in two different worlds: in her community, she wears Muslin clothes, cooks for her father and brother, and behaves as a traditional Muslin woman. Further, she has a unconsummated marriage with the illegal immigrant Faysal to facilitate the British stamp in his passport, after which she will divorce him. In her job, she changes her clothes and dresses like a Westerner, is considered a standard employee, and has a good friend, a Caucasian, who likes her. After September 11, the prejudice in her job and the treatment of common people make her take sides and change her life.

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Plot Keywords:

immigrant | muslim | forename as title | one word title | family relationships | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Germany UK

Language:

English Punjabi

Release Date:

26 May 2005 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Yasmin - Uma Mulher, Duas Vidas

Filming Locations:

Keighley, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parallax Independent,EuroArts Medien AG

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Yasmin chases off a group of boys who are throwing milk at a Muslim woman, an old lady comes up and apologizes for their behavior. This moment was completely unscripted - the crew were filming on a real street and the old lady was just a passer-by who hadn't noticed the cameras.

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Goofs

Yasmin is zapping through the TV program, but you there is no channel-sign.

User Reviews

"Yasmin" is about a Pakistani woman past 9/11.

The film "Yasmin" by Kenny Glenaan is about a young Pakistani woman who has to rearrange her world past 9/11. Yasmin, who lives in the Muslim area of a north English town, has a double life. In the Muslim society she is the daughter of the mosque's custodian and a good Muslim wife, but in her job in the "white, English world" she is an atheist and trendy single woman. The truth lies somewhere in between, which she has to face when 9/11 hits her life and people start treating her with mistrust and suspicion.

The conflicted Yasmin has a conservative, religious father. Her brother is also religious but he can easily be influenced and becomes an extremist. In contrast to them there is John, her English friend, who is obviously in love with Yasmin but is finally overtaxed by Yasmin's problems. One of those is Faysal, her bogus husband, who is completely misplaced in England because he is incapable of the language and isolated.

Kenny Glenaan has created a movie which shows a woman finding her identity in the middle of a religious conflict. He shows how prejudices can destroy lives, and how they can affect everyone. But he also explains how extreme situations can make you think about yourself and find your place in the world.

I really liked "Yasmin" because it is about real people, issues and emotions. You can feel that there are real stories behind this fiction.

One could say this movie is too simple, no work of art. But I guess it is in fact this simplicity which makes this film that good, because it is not artificial- it is simply a captivating story. That's enough.

I recommend this film to everyone who is interested in real issues and people, in the problems of our time and the impact they have on us. Everyone fascinated by the complex relations between people will be captivated by this study of microcosm of a conflicted family.