I recently saw this at the 2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival but was not impressed with this film being billed as the first feature film shot in Yemen. The old capital city of Yemen is Sana'a and I would expect to see more of the old historic city from this film's director Bader Ben Hirsi who previously shot a documentary about Yemen. It would have been more beneficial getting the viewer of this film more into the film by giving us more of Sana'a itself. We don't know much or anything about this setting except for the corny English voice over and the panoramic sweep of the city that sets the film up. With it's 1950's type travelogue opening I thought maybe this was going to be a tongue-in-cheek comedy. Actually there are a few well-crafted comedic moments but the plot is pretty week with no subplots to the storyline. No great acting here either as none of these actors are actors and a drama/acting coach had to be brought in to work with the cast for five months before they started shooting the film. There are a lot of women in the cast but most of their screen time is spent behind a veil and the face is so important in conveying emotion on screen that it just doesn't work. This is the story of a son of a diplomat who works as an aide to an English photographer and is engaged to the daughter of a prominent judge but is sidetracked in love by his infatuation and ultimate love for a woman of a lower class stature. The film's title comes from the weak ending. Due to the hassles the filmmakers had to endure with the government and the Ministry of Culture it doesn't look like many more fictional feature films will be coming out of Yemen anytime soon. Possibly an all Yemeni produced film eventually but not with another country like the UK involved. I would give this a 5.0 out of 10.
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johno-2116 January 2007
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alanlemagne10 April 2010I just watched this movie with my wife and by the end, both of us were wondering how we got through it, and why we watched it in the first place. Having lived in various places in the Middle East, I am used to the Arab style of movie making and I appreciate how different an Arab tale is from what Americans are used to but this movie was sadly lacking in anything that would even pass for an Arab-style narrative. From the completely inane Italian to the obvious attempt at Egyptian slapstick with the chief of police, this film is too disjointed to enjoy.
On the plus side, the cinematography is astounding, and it was a good plot device to have it built around the exploits of a cocky, disrespectful European photographer. It was obvious that the cinematographer had an eye for a good photograph, but even more obvious that the director had no concept of plot. Hopefully he improves with his next venture. -
The first film from Yemen is a beautiful romantic comedy, greatly outdoing anything to come out of Hollywood in this genre in years. Bader Ben Hirsi not only shows great skill and promise with his direction, but also in his writing, which was both poignant and funny. This film breaks a lot of barriers between Middle Eastern and Western culture, and is not only entertaining, but educational as to the lives of Middle Eastern people. It shows that people there have just as much passion, humor, love and imagination as they do anywhere else in the world, and that there are more similarities between Western and Middle Eastern cultures than there are differences. A NEW DAY IN OLD SANA'A is a great achievement not only for Bader Ben Hirsi, but for all of Yemen.
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I enjoyed this film, for the timeless story, comedic timing, and broad interest to audiences around the globe. I'm considering it for a film festival I'm organizing, and to have the opportunity to show Yemen as it appears in real life is priceless. Some of the characters are indeed caricatures, but the story still stands, and it's fun to watch. I found myself drawn in until the very end, but I must confess I hated the ending. I think it was probably due to disagreements and/or government restrictions that necessitated the ending, but won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it. View it as a sweet introduction to life in an under-represented part of the world, when it comes to cinema.
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matthew-5929 November 2006A magical movie about the only world heritage site that is a complete city. I was in Yemen in 2005 in the area of Sana'a the film was made in. Indeed Sana'a is exactly as it is seen in this film! A secret treasure for a fearless traveler! If you are interested in the places in the world the media ignores (or has an agenda against) then this movie is for you! A New Day in Old Sanaa will give you a glimpse not just into a nearly forgotten way of life still very much thriving in Yemen but the film also shows the very hidden (especially to males) world of women in Yemen. A uniquely Arabic story line reveals in this movie something Hollywood or even Bollywood can't grasp - the dignity of unknown places and a forgotten way of life seamlessly merged and existing with modernity. This is not a travel film but the film will take you on a magic carpet ride to an actual place that not many travelers find! A literal and thriving Shangri-la from the Lost Horizons of Arabia! See this movie and see if you aren't ready to find your own passage to Sana'a!
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ukpeterdouglas10 May 2006Yes, I saw this film too. I had no idea Yemen even existed. It was, or is, so beautiful. I have found out more about this film and it seems the filmmakers faced incredible difficulties. They deserve medals. I too agree that this film can help improve Western perceptions of the Middle East. We need to see more films like this - And why do we have to see films like this only at festivals? Why can't we see them in our local cinemas? Can't wait for it to come out on DVD and show my friends. I think Bader Ben Hirsi is one to watch and I hope he makes films in English too. All I can say is GO SEE THIS FILM - Its everything a film should be!
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suaad_y2k31 December 2006I've watched this film also, at an Arab festival and as a Yemeni, it was great to finally see us on the big screen. it was excellently shot and although I'm not from the north, it does still holds a lot of the Yemeni traditions. the cinema was packed with Yemenis and it was good to watch a film and not needing to read the subtitles. its shows to the western worlds what our culture is like, and i must stress, it is "old San'a" its part of the capital Sania but its not the city. overall i enjoyed the films and we were able to have a q&a with the directors and they struggled a lot with the culture minster, oh Yemen can be backwards sometime, they thought they were filming a porn film, so in nearly every shot there was about 10 members of the army watching. it is the only film that has come out of Yemen and it was a good one to watch,I'm still waiting to buy it.
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ta3isa_20 August 2006The movie carried many aspects of Yemen life it succeeded in highlighting the environment and mixing many plots. The characters seem living their normal life with some exaggerated moments where laughter took place and imagination was acceptable. The elements that were in the movie provoked even Arabs to some neglected details that no one noticed before. As many other cultures, Yemeni culture seems to be so rich that left the audience just wanting more after the movie ended. The flow of the plot layers helped in resolving the climax and reaching to a very smooth end were the viewer was still under a spell of an important question.
I liked the movie a lot and I'm waiting for its DVD to release. -
Fascinating glimpse behind the veil in Yemen's beautiful city of Sana'a. I was struck by how lovely a city could be without cars. Visually glorious, this film would have been stunning in 35mm - the washed-out Digibeta production left spots before my eyes. Tariq, our young about-to-be married Yemeni has fallen in love with another, but bows to family pressure and custom to abandon his love for a respectable marriage to a thoroughly spoil girl who throws away his token of love. Film provides a fascinating look into how women perpetuate a repressive culture and pull the veil over themselves. Parts of the film that lovingly play over the full lips of an unveiled Yemeni must appear positively pornographic in that culture. Great character development, and quite funny in several places. Sadly, the audience for this rare glimpse into another culture - almost another time - was sparse. Highly recommended; see this if you ever get the chance!
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robertemerald18 March 2020If Sana'a is really is as beautiful as depicted in this film then I can't see why anyone wouldn't want to visit. That was an eye-opener. The culture was certainly strange to me. At its heart this is an almost Cinderella style love story, but for most of the movie the filmmaker has tried to look at the culture. There are innumerable small vignettes of charming characters. It would be hard for anyone not to like this movie, not least because it is so competently made and the beautiful soundtrack. Recommended to anyone with a travel bug, or an interest in love.