Desert Flower is a 2009 biographical film directed by Sherry Hormann. It stars Liya Kebede, Sally Hawkins and Craig Parkinson, and is based on the Somali-born model Waris Dirie's autobiography.
Plot
The film follows the journey of Waris Dirie (played by Liya Kebede) from a nomadic pastoralist background in Somalia to a new life and career in the West as a fashion model and activist against female genital mutilation.
Cast
- Liya Kebede as Waris Dirie
- Sally Hawkins as Marylin
- Craig Parkinson as Neil
- Meera Syal as Pushpa Patel
- Anthony Mackie as Harold Jackson
- Juliet Stevenson as Lucinda
- Timothy Spall as Terry Donaldson
- Soraya Omar-Scego as Waris aged 12
- Teresa Churcher as Nurse Anne
- Eckart Friz as Spike
- Prashant Prabhakar as Kami
- Anna Hilgedieck as Tilda
- Matt Kaufman as Burger Bar Manager
- Emma Kay as Immigration officer
- Elli as European Man
- Nick Raio as Truck Driver
- Robert Robalino as Cafe owner
- Chris Wilson as Embassy Official
- Safa Idriss Nour as Little Waris
Production
Asked about the scene where Waris Dirie really struggles with a nude photo shoot, Liya Kebede said, "Being nude really is a problem for me, so it was actually the easiest scene for me to shoot. I definitely identified with how she was feeling."
Awards
- Festival de San Sebastián 2009
References
In-line references
Related links
Our goals: Waris Dirie Manifesto, desertflowerfoundation.org
External links
- African Film Festival of Cordoba-FCAT (license CC BY-SA-3.0)
- Desert Flower at IMDb
