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IMDbPro

Desert Flower

  • 20092009
  • RR
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
13K
YOUR RATING
Liya Kebede in Desert Flower (2009)
Basierend auf dem autobigraphischen Roman Wüstenblume von Waris Dirie
Play trailer2:13
1 Video
32 Photos
  • Biography
  • Drama
Waris Dirie, born 1965 in Somalia, flees at 13 when sold as 4th wife. She's maid at the Somalian embassy in London, then McDonald's, where she's discovered and becomes int'l top model. 1997,... Read allWaris Dirie, born 1965 in Somalia, flees at 13 when sold as 4th wife. She's maid at the Somalian embassy in London, then McDonald's, where she's discovered and becomes int'l top model. 1997, she speaks up against female genital mutilation.Waris Dirie, born 1965 in Somalia, flees at 13 when sold as 4th wife. She's maid at the Somalian embassy in London, then McDonald's, where she's discovered and becomes int'l top model. 1997, she speaks up against female genital mutilation.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
13K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Sherry Hormann
  • Writers
    • Waris Dirie(novel)
    • Sherry Hormann
    • Cathleen Miller(novel)
  • Stars
    • Soraya Omar-Scego
    • Idriss Abdillahi Houfaneh
    • Awa Saïd Darar
Top credits
  • Director
    • Sherry Hormann
  • Writers
    • Waris Dirie(novel)
    • Sherry Hormann
    • Cathleen Miller(novel)
  • Stars
    • Soraya Omar-Scego
    • Idriss Abdillahi Houfaneh
    • Awa Saïd Darar
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 19User reviews
    • 35Critic reviews
    • 54Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 2 nominations

    Videos1

    Wüstenblume - Trailer [de]
    Trailer 2:13
    Wüstenblume - Trailer [de]

    Photos32

    Desert Flower (2009)
    Desert Flower (2009)
    Desert Flower (2009)
    Desert Flower (2009)
    Desert Flower (2009)
    Liya Kebede in Desert Flower (2009)
    Liya Kebede in Desert Flower (2009)
    Liya Kebede in Desert Flower (2009)
    Liya Kebede in Desert Flower (2009)
    Desert Flower (2009)
    Liya Kebede in Desert Flower (2009)
    Liya Kebede in Desert Flower (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Soraya Omar-Scego
    • Young Warisas Young Waris
    Idriss Abdillahi Houfaneh
    • Old Manas Old Man
    Awa Saïd Darar
    • Aminaas Amina
    Roun Daher Aïnan
    • Waris' Motheras Waris' Mother
    Osman Aden Dalieg
    • Waris' Fatheras Waris' Father
    Liya Kebede
    Liya Kebede
    • Waris Dirieas Waris Dirie
    Sally Hawkins
    Sally Hawkins
    • Marilynas Marilyn
    Meera Syal
    Meera Syal
    • Pushpa Patelas Pushpa Patel
    Anna Hilgedieck
    • Girl in Showeras Girl in Shower
    Lucrezia Phantazia
    • Girl in Boardinghouseas Girl in Boardinghouse
    Craig Parkinson
    Craig Parkinson
    • Neilas Neil
    Matthew Alexander Kaufman
    Matthew Alexander Kaufman
    • Fastfood Manageras Fastfood Manager
    • (as Matt Kaufman)
    Timothy Spall
    Timothy Spall
    • Terry Donaldsonas Terry Donaldson
    Prashant Prabhakar
    Prashant Prabhakar
    • Kamias Kami
    Anthony Mackie
    Anthony Mackie
    • Harold Jacksonas Harold Jackson
    Tim Seyfi
    Tim Seyfi
    • Simonas Simon
    Teresa Churcher
    Teresa Churcher
    • Nurse Anneas Nurse Anne
    William de Coverly
    • Doctoras Doctor
    • Director
      • Sherry Hormann
    • Writers
      • Waris Dirie(novel)
      • Sherry Hormann
      • Cathleen Miller(novel)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The girl who was chosen to play the young Dirie as she undergoes FGM is Safa Idriss Nour and was picked on condition that her parents sign a contract agreeing never to perform the same ritualistic operation on her. Dirie's new book begins in 2011, four years after the contract with Nour's parents had been signed, when she received a letter from the girl that suggested her parents were having second thoughts. "I was shocked and I was very angry," Dirie, 48, said. "I decided I had to fly to Djibouti immediately to save my little girl from this brutal crime."

      Once in Djibouti, she realised that the family were being ostracised and Nour's fear of being forced to undergo FGM, rather than diminishing, had grown. Then seven, Nour told her: "Grandmother carried out lots of circumcisions in our house. The girls screamed so loudly, just like I did in the film."

      Nour's parents confirmed that pressure from neighbours and others for Nour to undergo FGM was weighing heavily on them. They told Dirie that her daughter and the family were being treated as outsiders and neighbours were jealous of the financial and medical support they were receiving from Dirie's FGM campaigning charity, Desert Flower Foundation, in return for upholding the contract. "Safa's family is surrounded by others struggling every day to survive. Even though the families have very little money, they save what money they have to cut their daughters, because otherwise they will not get a bride price from the future husband," Dirie said. "Because of our support, Safa's family is completely independent and the first family in the area to stop the vicious circle. This is a breach of their tradition, and people have big problems with this." Dirie spent time with the family and took some of them to Europe to show them campaigning work and talk about the corrective surgery carried out by the Desert Flower Foundation. The experience was a turning point, particularly for the father, who once argued strongly with Dirie over cutting Nour. He now works as an activist for the charity. "Safa's father has even invited neighbours to participate in our programme and the reactions were positive," Dirie said, demonstrating the difference that can be made when campaigns are led from within the communities they are trying to change. Although the case of Nour's father was a success, trying to encourage broader behaviour change through education is not easy. "Educating communities is very difficult as people are very stubborn and not willing to change their habits even if it is against humanity," says Dirie.
    • Goofs
      Lucinda (from the modeling agency) says to Waris she would be without broadband in Africa. Broadband didn't exist in the early to mid 80s when this story took place.
    • Connections
      Referenced in RTL Boulevard: Episode #11.70 (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Without You (Glenn Morrison Remix)
      Music by Craig Armstrong and Scott Fraser

      Vocals by Lucy Pullin

      French spoken words by Laurence Ashley

      Remix and additional production by Glenn Morrison and Byron Wong

      © by Chester Music Ltd. by the courtesy of Bosworth Music GmbH, Berlin

    User reviews19

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    How can we stop this?
    The true story of Waris Dirie, a Somalia girl from a desert region and promised to a miserable local life, who fled to England and eventually became a top model. But the real story, the one that begins the day that changed her life, is another one. Hard and repulsive story, heir of a Somali tradition of 3000 years. A strong and true message, which calls for our humanity. Superb interpretation. Simple direction, valuing the natural interpretation, and decorated with a lot of beautiful film views. Another important point of the message is this distinction between the Somalia tradition and the Coran recommendations. See and support absolutely.
    helpful•11
    2
    • paulouscan
    • Jan 31, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 24, 2009 (Germany)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • Germany
      • Austria
      • France
    • Official sites
      • Official site (Germany)
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Somali
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Flor del Desierto
    • Filming locations
      • Berlin, Germany
    • Production companies
      • Desert Flower Filmproductions
      • Majestic Filmproduktion
      • MTM West Television & Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $44,348
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $7,657
      • Mar 20, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $14,682,943
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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