Shamim Sarif Explained

Shamim Sarif
Birth Date:24 September 1969
Occupation:Novelist, film director, screenwriter
Children:2
Website:https://www.shamimsarif.com/

Shamim Sarif (born 24 September 1969) is a British novelist, screenwriter, and film director of South Asian and South African heritage. Sarif is best known for her work in writing and directing films with themes that often explore issues of identity and cultural diversity.

Early life and education

Sarif was born in London to Indian parents who had emigrated from South Africa in the early 1960s to escape apartheid.[1] [2] She studied English literature at Royal Holloway, University of London and later completed a Master's degree in English at Boston University.[1]

Career

Sarif's work has received critical acclaim for its portrayal of LGBTQ+ relationships and its exploration of the complexities of love and identity. She is known for her contributions to both literature and film, especially within the context of LGBTQ+ storytelling.

Sarif's debut novel, The World Unseen (2008), won a Betty Trask Award and the Pendleton May First Novel Award. The novel explores issues of race, gender and sexuality and was heavily inspired by the stories of Sarif's grandmother and her Indian and South African heritage.[3]

Sarif has adapted and directed the films of three of her novels including The World Unseen (2001), which was selected for TIFF, I Can't Think Straight (2008), and Despite the Falling Snow (2016).

Her 2011 film The House of Tomorrow is a documentary about the 2010 TEDx Holy Land Conference, which brought together Arab and Israeli women to discuss issues of mutual interest in technology, entertainment, and design.[4]

Her latest books, The Athena Protocol (2019) and The Shadow Mission (The Athena Protocol #2) (2020), represent a departure from her more familiar themes of romance and LGBTQ+ relationships, as it falls into the action-adventure and espionage genre.

Personal life

Identifying as having Muslim roots, Sarif is openly lesbian, and she has mentioned that her work on I Can't Think Straight is semi-autobiographical in nature.[5]

On 23 September 2015, she celebrated her marriage to producer Hanan Kattan in London, marking nearly two decades of being together.[6]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterNotes
2007The World UnseenFeature films
Based on Sarif's novel
2008I Can't Think Straight
2011The House of TomorrowDocumentary film
2016Despite the Falling SnowFeature film
Also based on Sarif's novel
2020Murdoch MysteriesTV series
Episode "Rigid Silence"
2021A Woman on FireTV film
DiggstownTV series
Episode "Christian Spry"
2022SkyMedTV series
Directed 2 episodes
2023PolarizedFeature film
Also producer

Bibliography

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Just another British, Indian, Muslim, Arab, Christian lesbian romantic comedy. Evening Standard. 12 April 2012.
  2. Rachael Scott, "Having a gay old time: Novelist turned film-maker Shamim Sarif has two films, both based on her books, coming out tomorrow. She tells Rachael Scott how this one-two punch came about." The Guardian, 2 April 2009.
  3. News: Coleman . Bianca . 13 February 2009 . Novel start leads to the reel world: ENT . Cape Times . .
  4. Billy Cox, "'House of Tomorrow' infused with excitement and optimism", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 16 April 2012.
  5. News: Hoggard . Liz . April 2009 . She is an Arab Christian, her lover a Muslim. They challenged every prejudice and almost tore their wealthy London families apart. Then they made a film of their love story . . 16 November 2018.
  6. Web site: Shamim Sarif . 23 September 2015 . We just got married! . Facebook.