Yasmin

The film "Yasmin" by Kenny Glenaan deals with the difficulties of a young Pakistan woman who tries to manage a western life, free of tradition, as well as a religious Muslim life.

Yasmin, protagonist, lives in a mill town in the north of England with her father, Khalid her brother Nasir and isolated Faysal to whom she has been married by her parents so that he can stay in England. Nevertheless Yasmin wants to be divorced as soon as possible. Together with her English colleague John she works for a social service and she seems to be far more away from than she actually is, always trying to distract herself from the problems of her migrant community life. Soon she finds herself facing an unfamiliar experience: Islamophobia caused by the incident of 9/11. John still wants to care and plays down the bullying of their colleagues. Suddenly Faysal is suspected of being involved into 9/11 so that Yasmin and her family and John are taken into custody. This is when John is told by the police that he is friends with a woman who is married to a man that is most likely involved into terror activities.

With "Yasmin" Kenny Gleenan has made a really versatile film that deals with prejudice but makes a most unprejudiced statetment. What I really like is that the viewer is able to comprehend every character's actions and opinion and nobody is judged too harshly. The film also leaves enough space to form your really own opinion. I can imagine that especially viewers of Muslim origin who live in a European country can easily identify with Yasmin's conflict.

It is a "story" built on top of a "topic". The story is about the consequences of the September 11 attacks on the daily life of a young British Muslim woman. The topic is Islam's shift towards conservatism (and fundamentalism) that many people blame on The West's "fight against terrorism".

As such the story is necessarily incomplete, stereotypical, and unreal. But, as such, it does a pretty good job of making me think of what could be real --- the fear, the hate, the horror of law abuse, the consequences.

The movie is also well balanced: smiles and tears are spared wisely. I just did not like the end.

While watching the movie "Yasmin", directed by Kenny Glenaan, you get a realistic picture of a Muslim family from Pakistan living in the north of England. As you can guess from the title, the plot is focused on emancipated Yasmin Husseini, who switches between her traditional Muslim and her modern western life. After the incidents of 9/11, an arranged marriage and a night in prison, she withdraws from her "double-life" and comes back to her Muslim origin.

Without using any spectacular visual effects "Yasmin" catches you with a lot authenticity. All of the different but interesting and individual characters make the film very dynamic. On the one hand, there is the conservative father Khalid, who just tries to conform to his western life without losing his Muslim tradition. Yasmin's brother Nasir, on the other hand, is fed up with his life in the western culture. Another important person is Faisal, the "import" and Yasmin's husband, who is not able to communicate with anyone of the Husseinis but a goat. Yasmin as the main character has to cope with all these family members and tries not to hurt or disappoint anyone. You will see how she manages all that, although going on with her ordinary modern lifestyle.

I want to recommend this movie to all of you because it shows a point of view from "the other side" of dealing with terror and religious identity. You are demanded to think about Muslim culture and our established prejudices.

I caught this movie on TV and didn't think it would necessarily appeal to me, but from the very first I was caught up in it and had to watch right to the end. I thought the acting performances were very honest, while the script was true-to-life. I felt as if I was entering Yasmin's world every time she went home.

I particularly liked the friendship she had with John, which played out realistically.

At no point were the events clichéd, and the drama-documentary feel of the film was very effective. There were lots of well-observed details which lent to the authenticity of the film, and nice juxtapositions of the Muslim community living in a northern English town.

I found it compelling and moving.

In England, the Pakistanis Yasmin (Archie Panjabi) lives two lives in two different worlds: in her community, she wears Muslin clothes, cooks for her father and brother and has the traditional behavior of a Muslin woman. Further, she has a non-consumed marriage with the illegal immigrant Faysal to facilitate the British stamp in his passport, and then divorce him. In her job, she changes her clothes and wears like a Westerner, is considered a standard employee and has a good Caucasian friend who likes her. After the September, 11th, the prejudice in her job and the treatment of common people makes her take side and change her life.

"Yasmin" is a powerful drama that exposes the tough life of Muslin immigrants in England after the terrorist attack of September, 11th. The story is very real and well acted, and shows the difficult situation of simple people that suddenly are hated, submitted to interracial intolerance, injustice and prejudice, just because of a group of religious fanatics, causing a generalization of worldwide hate. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Yasmin - Uma Mulher, Dois Mundos" ("Yasmin, A Woman, Two Worlds")