Desert Flower (film)

Desert Flower (film)

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

Desert Flower (film)

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

Desert Flower (film)

• 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

Desert Flower (film)

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."