Shamim Sarif: Q&A on "The World Unseen"

Shamim Sarif brings her award-winning debut novel, "The World Unseen," to the screen for a sweeping tale of forbidden love in unforgiving times. Inspired by her grandmother's stories of 1950s South Africa facing the birth pangs of apartheid, Sarif introduces the fiercely free-spirited Amina who disregards the rules of her own Indian community and runs a café for apartheid's misfits, the ones who, like her, are neither simply “white” nor “black.” When she and the married, traditional Miriam find themselves powerfully attracted to each other, the possibilities for both love and tragedy are cast in the conflict that surrounds them. Distributed by Regent Releasing on November 7th, "The World Unseen" offers what the British Film Institute has called "a rare combination of intricate character study and engaging narrative" along with a compelling statement about the individual's quest for fulfillment against a backdrop of social coercion, violence, and pain.