The World Unseen

in association with DO Productions THE WORLD UNSEEN PUBLICITY Lee Ginsberg - Laura Paulsen PMK/HBH - 700 N. San Vicente Blvd., 9th Floor - West Hollywood, CA 90069 310-289-6200 - [email protected] - [email protected] REGENT RELEASING John Lambert, President Jonathon Aubry, Vice President, Marketing Helene Nielsen Beal, Director, Theatrical Marketing and Distribution U.S. Theatrical Distribution 10990 Wilshire Boulevard, Penthouse, Los Angeles, CA 90024 310-806-4278 www.regentreleasing.com Running Time 94 min Press Materials – Press & Exhibitors Area www.regentreleasing.com/pwpresspass.html A REGENT RELEASE OF AN ENLIGHTENMENT FILMS PRESENTATION OF AN ENLIGHTENMENT PRODUCTIONS PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH DO PRODUCTIONS “THE WORLD UNSEEN” LISA RAY SHEETAL SHETH PARVIN DABAS NANDANA SEN GRETHE FOX DAVID DENNIS COLIN MOSS BASED ON THE NOVEL BY SHAMIM SARIF CASTING BY HANAN KATTAN & MITO SKELLERN MUSIC BY RICHARD BLACKFORD EDITOR DAVID MARTIN PRODUCTION DESIGNER TANYA VAN TONDER WARDROBE DANIELLE KNOX CINEMATOGRAPHER MICHAEL DOWNIE COLLABORATING CINEMATOGRAPHER ASEEM BAJAJ LINE PRODUCER CAROLE PRENTICE ASSOCIATE PRODUCER DAISY ALLSOP CO-PRODUCER BRIGID OLËN EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS KATHERINE PRIESTLEY & LISA TCHENGUIZ-IMERMAN PRODUCER HANAN KATTAN WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY SHAMIM SARIF © 2008. THE WORLD UNSEEN HOLDINGS LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.theworldunseenmovie.com The World Unseen Nothing Can Stop You From Falling In Love.. A moving and passionate love story set against a backdrop of 1950’s apartheid “...An engaging and beautifully executed story...” Jasmyne Cannick, PAFF Los Angeles “...A sincere, beautifully realized vision of love and resistance in an intolerant world...” Afterellen.com “...a rare combination of intricate character study and engaging narrative." British Film Institute "Subtle and rather beautiful ... a touching, likeable human story." Notcoming.com "... one-of-a-kind new voices that have a youthful energized flair." Official Film Schedule / Toronto International Film Festival “...The film speaks in an electrifying voice...” International Women’s Film Festival in Seoul “...a truly multifaceted approach going beyond sexuality and beyond politics making the heart and essence of the story valuable for everybody – regardless of race, sexuality or wider background.” Juliane Kaden, New York Times, reader’s review "The World Unseen contains not one but two of this year's steamiest screen kisses." Cameron Bailey / Film Programmer / Toronto International Film Festival Short Synopsis In 1950’s South Africa, apartheid is just beginning. Free-spirited Amina (Sheetal Sheth) has broken all the rules of her own conventional Indian community, and the new apartheid-led government, by running a café with Jacob, her 'colored' business partner. When she meets Miriam (Lisa Ray), a young traditional wife and mother, their unexpected attraction pushes Miriam to question the rules that bind her. As Amina helps Miriam’s sister-in-law to hide from the police, a chain of events is set in motion that changes both women forever. In a system that divides white from black and women from men, what chance is there for an unexpected love to survive? From overcoming oppression to finding personal freedom, from the hardships of a loveless marriage to the hesitant joy of an unexpected love affair, "The World Unseen" transports the viewer to a vibrant, colorful world that is universal in its themes. Long Synopsis Free-spirited Amina has broken all the rules of her own conventional Indian community in South Africa by running a café, a safe haven of laughter, music and home-cooked food; a ‘grey area’ for those who fall outside the strict ‘black and white’ rules of the apartheid-led government. Café regulars include Amina’s feisty waitress Doris, her gentle ‘Colored’ business partner Jacob and the sparky White local postmistress Madeleine. Long accustomed to the racial barriers of the country and its new laws, Madeleine and Jacob nevertheless share a budding attraction. Miriam, on the other hand, is a doting mother to her children and a demure and subservient wife to her chauvinistic, frustrated husband, Omar. Quietly intelligent, Miriam has never assumed that she may have choices in life. When Miriam meets Amina, their unexpected attraction throws them both off balance. Although Miriam manages to subdue her fascination with unconventional Amina, she finds herself slowly inspired to confront familiar and familial constraints. Shortly after their encounter Miriam moves to an isolated life in the country, but even here apartheid is placing its cruel footprint on society, and these injustices bring the two women together again, cementing the basis of their growing feelings. Meanwhile Jacob decides to pursue a love affair of his own and he and Madeleine begin a tentative, touching relationship. But the best intentions of both are overcome by practical challenges and indignities of simply spending time together. Even the fearless Amina, faced with the strength of her feelings and with the reality of Miriam’s situation, starts doubting herself. And Miriam finds herself making some courageous choices that will change her own life forever. Using the stunning South African landscape and jazz tunes of the time, The World Unseen explores a system that divides white from black and women from men, but one that might just allow an unexpected love to survive. The Film Shamim Sarif has brought to the screen the motion picture adaptation of her critically acclaimed and award winning debut novel, “The World Unseen.” The human drama is inspired by stories of her grandmother’s life in South Africa during the 1950’s when the root of Apartheid began its treacherous grip on the country, leaving individuals to deal with a long fight for independence and identity. The early apartheid setting “forms the backdrop for a story of very universal human emotions,” says producer Hanan Kattan. The international cast is headed up by Canadian actress Lisa Ray (Deepa Mehta’s “Water” – which garnered a Best Foreign Picture Academy Award® nomination in 2007). Her performance in “Water” earned her the Best Actress Award from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle. Other cast includes Sheetal Sheth (“Looking for Comedy in the Moslem World”), Parvin Dabas (“Monsoon Wedding”), Bernard White (“The Matrix”) and Nandana Sen (“Black”). Among the stellar South African cast are Grethe Fox, David Dennis, Natalie Becker, Rajesh Gopie and Colin Moss. Production and Financing Written, directed, financed and produced entirely by women, the motion picture is an Enlightenment Productions film, in association with DO Productions. Producer Hanan Kattan (co- founder of UK’s Enlightenment Productions with Shamim Sarif), and co-producer Brigid Olen (co- founder of South Africa’s DO Productions with Marlow de Mardt) have teamed up on this project along with associate producer Daisy Allsop. Many of the heads of department are also women, including Carole Prentice (line producer), Tanya Van Tonder (production designer) and Danielle Knox (wardrobe designer). “The strong female presence on this movie wasn’t something we actively sought out,” explains Sarif, “but there was a passion for the story and its themes that has driven everyone who’s chosen to be involved with ‘The World Unseen’ and that has helped the movie to surpass even our high expectations for it.” The production is independently financed by private equity, and Katherine Priestley and Lisa Tchenguiz-Imerman serve as Executive Producers. Says Priestley, “I believe that, like the book, the film will reach out to a very wide audience. It’s about individualism, about integrity, about believing in yourself.” Enlightenment Productions’ mandate is to achieve higher than expected production value for the budgets involved, by tapping into the excitement and creativity of cast and crew who are passionate about their projects. By combining manageable budgets with excellent quality scripts and top class execution, Enlightenment is dedicated to growing their slate organically and found a like-minded partner in DO Productions. “Since we founded DO Productions we have consistently sought out quality stories, with edge, in which to invest time and energy,” says Olen, who this year, was also the South African co- producer on “Disgrace” starring John Malkovich. This film was made with the assistance of the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa. THE NOVEL NOTE: A new release of the novel will display cover art that will match the theatrical poster. When Sarif’s novel, “The World Unseen,” first hit the shelves it took the publishing world by storm and went on to win the Pendleton May First Novel Award and the prestigious Betty Trask Award, garnering significant acclaim from the critics. “An impressive debut, Sarif’s story brings together the descriptive power of the novelist with the screenwriter’s mastery of dialogue.” (The Times, London) “I read The World Unseen at a gulp, so entrancing is its style, so complete its tale of love and betrayal, and so accurate its depiction of the physical, social and political scene.” (The Star, South Africa – Book of the Week) “The characters shine with the beauty of Sarif’s deceptively skilful prose which keeps your eyes skating along the narrative in sheer enjoyment. I read this book in two long sittings, unable to put it down.” (Dyverse) “Like the novel, The World Unseen cannot be boxed into any category,” assert Kattan. “It embraces timeless themes of love, prejudice, finding your voice and lessons of the heart and has a firm place in world cinema. It is a passionate & provocative story that embodies Enlightenment Productions’ ethos of developing stories that challenge convention.” The World Unseen marks the second motion picture directed by Sarif. Her directorial debut “I Can’t Think Straight”, which she also wrote and directed, will be completed this year and released in 2008. Writer/ Director – Shamim Sarif Acclaimed novelist Shamim Sarif has deep roots in South Africa, where her parents and grandparents were born and raised - a heritage that inspired her first, award-winning novel, “The World Unseen”.

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