A New Day in Old Sana'a
by Bader Ben Hirsi
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DVD details
Actor: Dania Hammoud, Julia Towns, Nabil Saber, Paolo Romano, Redha KhoderDirector: Bader Ben Hirsi
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Arabic (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-04-22
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Typecast Releasing
DVD Reviews of A New Day in Old Sana'a
DVD Review: Definitely charming, magically captivating and an extremely touching movie
Summary: 4 Stars
A daunting task with a haunting ending - that is the story behind the first Yemeni movie ever made: "A New Day in Old Sana'a". The director, Bader Ben Hirsi, faced numerous challenges such as financial limitations, and a lot more which crippled his beloved project, luckily, the director's vision persevered and this beautiful movie was created.
"A New Day in Old Sana'a" is a romantic comedy/drama and it revolves around a wealthy Yemeni groom who falls in love with a woman he mistakenly thinks is his aristocratic bride. In a strange twist of events, she turns out to be a poor woman of a humble background, and the groom faces the conflict between his heart and jeopardizing his family's honor if they dishonored the marriage commitment to his real bride's family (a very serious matter in Yemen). Not only did the director communicate with exotic and meaningful imagery, set in the enchanting old city of Sana'a, (which was built before the 11th century and one of the World Heritage sites recognized by UNESCO) but he also skillfully displayed the characters' warmth, wit and exposed their vulnerabilities, adding to the spellbinding nature of this movie, which eventually leads to a somewhat unrelenting ending. When you watch this movie, be prepared to laugh, to be emotionally moved, visually mesmerized and ready to go on a trip to a unique place that do exist in the real world but that is occupied with too familiar conflicts.
As with any project that attempts to introduce new and unfamiliar ideas, one could expect resistance. But the degree to which it crippled this project almost drove Hirsi to give up on it. In addition to the normal pressures, Hirsi felt the overwhelming responsibility of knowing that his movie could either open the door for more Yemeni movies or permanently close it. Even after completing it, there was the difficulty in distributing the movie internationally. Some of the distributors were disappointed because the movie didn't fit their notion of what an Arabic movie should be about, as this movie was about a love story, which didn't fit the distributors' stereotypical mold.
All the media coverage about this movie was more than encouraging and it was notably received by both audiences and critics, despite the fact that it was not widely released theatrically. The movie was previewed at several international film festivals including Cannes Film Festival and it won the Best Arab Film Award at the 2005 Cairo International Film Festival.
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Description of A New Day in Old Sana'a
Winner
- Cairo Film Festival
World Premiere
- Cannes International Film Festival
U.S. Premiere
- Seattle Arab & Iranian Film Festival
Official Selection
- Vancouver International Film Festival
Official Selection
- Arabian Sights, Film Fest D.C.
Official Selection
- Palm Springs International Film Festival
In this achingly romantic tale, handsome young Tariq is about to marry Bilquis, eldest daughter of a prominent and powerful judge. But as he wanders the ancient city of Sana'a late one night, he spots a beautiful young woman dancing in the street and falls madly in love with her. Before long, the young groom must choose between following his heart and protecting his family's honor. Filmed entirely on location in the ancient city of Sana'a, this exquisite film is the first feature ever to come out of Yemen.
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