Lifting the veil on Muslim women: Confessions of a Gambler
Based on a novel by Rayda Jacobs, winner of the Sunday Times Fiction and Herman Charles Bosman awards, Confessions of a Gambler is currently in production in South Africa. The film tells the story of Abeeda, a feisty, independent, pious Muslim woman who confronts the prejudices of her community and wrestles with her faith and the issues that face women in the modern world.
Jacobs, who is playing the lead role and co-directing the film with television director and award-winning actress Amanda Lane, says that "Confessions lifts the veil on the Muslim community, and we hope to change some of the biggest myths about Muslim women with this film."
RoZa Films is producing Confessions, with Ross Garland and Zaheer Bhyat as producers. Garland was producer and executive producer of the highly acclaimed Berlin Golden Bear winner U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, the Xhosa language adaptation of the opera Carmen.
Executive producer Costa Theo (Out on a Limb, Blind Guy Driving) identified the award-winning novel and was instrumental in securing the project and bringing the film to life, which has been made possible with the assistance of the National Film and Video Foundation who have supported the project from the beginning.
"With a film like this, retaining the raw integrity of the story is critical," says Garland. "The cinema world has shown that it recognises and rewards authenticity in films," echoes fellow producer Bhyat. In the tradition of City of God and the films of Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies) and Michael Winterbottom (Road to Guantanamo), the producers and co-directors have opted to cast non-professional actors in the leading roles, opting for authenticity over glamour.
The film is currently shooting in a variety of locations in and around Cape Town, South Africa. Ster-Kinekor will be distributing the film locally in 2007. On the international front the film is set to be launched at an A-List film festival next year. RoZa Films is currently in negotiations with four top sales agents who are interested in worldwide distribution rights.