Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)

A fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheik's vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert and embarks on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible possible.

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:

Simon Beaufoy, Paul Torday (novel)

Stars:

Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Amr Waked

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amr Waked	...	Sheikh Muhammed
Emily Blunt	...	Harriet
Catherine Steadman	...	Ashley
Tom Mison	...	Capt. Robert Mayers
Ewan McGregor	...	Dr. Alfred Jones
Rachael Stirling	...	Mary Jones
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Patricia Maxwell
Tom Beard	...	Peter Maxwell
Jill Baker	...	Betty
Conleth Hill	...	Bernard Sugden
Alex Taylor-McDowall	...	Edward Maxwell
Matilda White	...	Abby Maxwell
Otto Farrant	...	Joshua Maxwell
Hamish Gray	...	Malcolm
Clive Wood	...	Tom Price-Williams

Storyline

Visionary Sheikh Muhammed bin Zaida bani Tihama (Amr Waked) believes his passion for the peaceful pastime of salmon fishing can enrich the lives of his people, and he dreams of bringing the sport to the not so fish-friendly desert. Willing to spare no expense, he instructs his representative to turn the dream into reality, an extraordinary feat that will require the involvement of Britain's leading fisheries expert, Dr. Alfred "Fred" Jones (Ewan McGregor), who happens to think the project both absurd and unachievable. That is, until the Prime Minister's overzealous press secretary, Patricia Maxwell (Dame Kristin Scott Thomas) latches on to it as a "good will" story. Now, this unlikely team will put it all on the line and embark on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible.

---

Plot Keywords:

salmon | fishing | fish | desert | dam | 

---

Taglines:

Make the impossible possible.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence and sexual content, and brief language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The khanjar or jambiyya (the curved daggers carried in the belt by many of the Yemenis in this movie) are the Omani style. Typically in Yemen, the sheath is much narrower and highly curved at the tip. Also, normally, they are only worn at formal occasions with national dress - similar to sgian dubh in Scotland.

---

Goofs

When Harriet and Dr Jones are eating at a restaurant for the first time, Dr Jones empties his glass, yet in the next scene the glass is full again. This happens a few times throughout the scene.

---

Quotes

Car bot voice: Say a command.
Mary Jones: Shut up.
Car bot voice: Say a command.
Mary Jones: Shut up.
Car bot voice: Say a command.

---

Alternate Versions

For the American theatrical release, references to the supermarket chain Tesco were dubbed over and replaced with Target.

---

Connections

Referenced in Maron: Jen Moves to L.A. (2013)

---

Soundtracks

Mairi's Wedding
Mairi's Wedding (Lewis Bridal Song) (c) 1937 by Hugh S. Roberton
Used by permission of Roberton Publications, a part of Goodmusic Publishing Ltd
Arranged by Jim Sutherland
Mike Kearney - Vocals
Austen George - Guitar, vocals
Claire Nelson - Banjo, vocals
Jim Sutherland - bass and percussion
Master Owner: Courtesy of Yemen Productions

User Reviews

Best Film at Toronto

There's a line in the movie that goes, "We need a good story about the Middle East that doesn't have explosions." This is it! Hilarious and touching, Ewan, Emily, and Amr are fantastic. Ewan plays this homely, heads-down British government biologist to a T. Amr is a promising newcomer. And Emily is always amazing. I saw this at the opening in Toronto and the audience loved it. No wonder it was the first one sold at the festival. A big of an underdog, a lot of other people thought it was the best they saw too. Maybe they should change the name to something catchier. That's my only suggestion. I hope this changes how people view the middle east, even in a small way.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English Arabic Mandarin

Release Date:

20 April 2012 (UK)

Also Known As:

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Filming Locations:

Ouarzazate, Ouarzazate Province, Morocco

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$225,894, 11 March 2012

Gross USA:

$9,047,981

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$34,564,651

Company Credits

Production Co:

UK Film Council, BBC Films, CBS Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1