Cinema of Yemen
Encyclopedia
The cinema of Yemen is very small, there being only two Yemeni films as of 2008. Released in 2005, A New Day in Old Sana'a
deals with a young man struggling between whether to go ahead with a traditional marriage or go with the woman he loves.
The film faced several difficulties in this very conservative country: an Austrian actor due to appear in the film was stabbed, the reluctance of Yemeni women to appear in the film forced them to cast a Lebanese woman in the lead female role and the set was stormed on the first day of shooting by a group of Islamic extremists. There were considerable problems with the government over the film and its content.
In August 2008, Yemen’s Interior Minister Mutahar al-Masri supported the launch of a new feature film to educate the public about the consequences of Islamist extremism. The Losing Bet was produced by Fadl al-Olfi. The plot follows two Yemeni jihadis, who return from years living abroad. They are sent home by an Al Qaeda mastermind to recruit new members and carry out deadly operations in Yemen.
A New Day in Old Sana'a
A New Day in Old Sana'a is a 2005 romantic drama film directed by Bader Ben Hirsi, a British playwright and director of Yemeni ancestry, and produced by Ahmed Abdali. It was shot in San‘a’, the capital of Yemen, and was the first Yemeni film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival...
deals with a young man struggling between whether to go ahead with a traditional marriage or go with the woman he loves.
The film faced several difficulties in this very conservative country: an Austrian actor due to appear in the film was stabbed, the reluctance of Yemeni women to appear in the film forced them to cast a Lebanese woman in the lead female role and the set was stormed on the first day of shooting by a group of Islamic extremists. There were considerable problems with the government over the film and its content.
In August 2008, Yemen’s Interior Minister Mutahar al-Masri supported the launch of a new feature film to educate the public about the consequences of Islamist extremism. The Losing Bet was produced by Fadl al-Olfi. The plot follows two Yemeni jihadis, who return from years living abroad. They are sent home by an Al Qaeda mastermind to recruit new members and carry out deadly operations in Yemen.
Films shot in Yemen
- The English Sheik and the Yemeni Gentleman (American; 2000)
- Il fiore delle mille e una notteIl fiore delle mille e una notteArabian Nights is a 1974 Italian film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Its original Italian title is Il fiore delle mille e una notte, which means "The Flower of the One Thousand and One Nights"....
(Italian; 1974) - this film generated controversy in Yemen when it was discovered that the finished film contained sex scenes - Le Mura di Sana (Italian short; 1964)
- Le Schiave Esistono Ancora (Italian; 1964)
External Links
- Interview with Bader Ben Hirsi
- Article about Yemen's cinemas
- Article about the 'Rules of Engagement' controversy
- Guld News article about 'A New Day in Old Sana'a'
- Interview withe Yemeni actress Najla Atef
- Article about 'A New Day in Old Sana'a'
- Interview with Bader Ben Hirsi
- Review of 'A New Day in Old Sana'a'
- IMDB entry for Yemen