IMDb RATING
6.6/10
4.8K
YOUR RATING
A drama centered on two women who engage in a dangerous relationship during South Africa's apartheid era.A drama centered on two women who engage in a dangerous relationship during South Africa's apartheid era.A drama centered on two women who engage in a dangerous relationship during South Africa's apartheid era.
- Awards
- 18 wins & 2 nominations
David Dennis
- Jacob
- (as David Denis)
Scot Cooper
- James Winston
- (as Scott Cooper)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to director Shamim Sarif when this film was sent for consideration to a film festival in Dubai, the DVD was mailed back to them with a note, which simply stated "the subject matter does not exist".
Featured review
This world has been seen many times elsewhere.
For anyone looking for an innovative or breakthrough film here, look elsewhere. This is a formula film with a capital F and you can predict its progress in the first 3 minutes or so. Sometimes that is OK if the ride is exceptional. This time it is so-so.
The upside: Good if standard cinematography/camera work and editing, believable sets. The subplot with the white bank employee and the mixed race cafe owner is more interesting and suspenseful than the main plot.
The downside: This comes from just how much this film relies on cookie-counter elements. No white or Indian male (save one who appears briefly) or conventionally minded woman is allowed to have a redeemable feature. They are quickly established as people that you will not have sympathy for. Likewise the setting in institutionally suppressive South Africa 1952 is just sooo perfect to inject a touch of brutality and righteous indignation and a hint of a political edge to a very tired story line.
This sets the stage for the predatory/touristy lesbian tomboy to enlighten the frustrated housewife. Yawn....
Then we get the blues-jazz piano intro, some poetry, endless, furtive longing glances, the questioning of values and life goals, the symbolic-suggestive one liners, the moments of crisis, the resolution and the folk song over the ending credits. All formula. Been there, done that.
The upside: Good if standard cinematography/camera work and editing, believable sets. The subplot with the white bank employee and the mixed race cafe owner is more interesting and suspenseful than the main plot.
The downside: This comes from just how much this film relies on cookie-counter elements. No white or Indian male (save one who appears briefly) or conventionally minded woman is allowed to have a redeemable feature. They are quickly established as people that you will not have sympathy for. Likewise the setting in institutionally suppressive South Africa 1952 is just sooo perfect to inject a touch of brutality and righteous indignation and a hint of a political edge to a very tired story line.
This sets the stage for the predatory/touristy lesbian tomboy to enlighten the frustrated housewife. Yawn....
Then we get the blues-jazz piano intro, some poetry, endless, furtive longing glances, the questioning of values and life goals, the symbolic-suggestive one liners, the moments of crisis, the resolution and the folk song over the ending credits. All formula. Been there, done that.
- How long is The World Unseen?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Невидимый мир
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $17,808
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $9,031
- Nov 9, 2008
- Gross worldwide
- $23,101
- Runtime1 hour 33 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content