Change Your Image
leschinsjen6
Reviews
Yasmin (2004)
Yasmin
The film "Yasmin" by Kenny Glenaan deals with the increasing conflict between the Islamic and the Western worlds after 9/11 in the UK. Yasmin is a young Pakistani woman who is the good Muslim when she is with her family, but turns into a modern "English" woman when she drives her Volkswagen to work. Besides Yasmin's problems with her bogus marriage and her religious dad, September 11 changes her and the Islamic community's life tremendously. Since then Yasmin has to struggle with more prejudices, intolerance, also with the British police, who suspect Yasmin's husband of being a terrorist, and with the lack of communication on both sides. On the one hand, her father accuses Yasmin of being disgraceful if she gives divorce, on the other hand all the non Muslims look suspiciously at the Pakistani woman. Yasmin is a strong and confident woman who tries to be independent and to live in the Western and in the Islamic world. She is also speaks her mind and is friendly. The fact that she has not only friends in the Islamic community but a white British friend named John also shows that she is tolerant and open-minded. People come to her and ask her for help with the papers they do not understand because Yasmin speaks English fluently and so she acts like a mediator between the two worlds. I can identify with all the characters because they all have their reasons why they act in the one or other way. E.g. Yasmin's dad just wants to help the family in Pakistan, also it puts his daughter at a disadvantage. He is a religious man and afraid to lose Yasmin, and at the end I feel sorry for him because he not only loses her but Nasir as well. All in all being religious or independent as Yasmin are no excuses for the mistakes they have made but is life, and maybe I would have acted like them. So I do not want to blame one of them because they are all not perfect but their reactions are understandable. From my point of view, Glenaan wants to show that there are two worlds and that prejudices make the non Muslim people think that every Muslim is a terrorist. Glenaan's characters also represent the different ways of being Muslim in the Western world, e.g. Yasmin actually wants to live modern but pretends to be a Muslim to her dad, and Nasir decides to live for the Islam only and becomes strongly religious in the wrong way. Although the film shows the hard and sad reality, the crucial point is that it is not exaggerated. The film stays authentic and the actors play very well, and are all pleasant in their own way. So I can recommend this film because it is honest, real and true.