The Norwegian film Hva vil folk si (2017) was shown in the United States with the title "What will people say." It was written and directed by the Norwegian-Pakistani director Iram Haq.
Maria Mozhdah plays Nisha. She's a teenager who has grown up in Norway. She lives with her parents and her older brother. Nisha clearly is integrated into her Scandinavian culture, but the rest of her family is not.
They appear to have no interest in Norway or Norwegians. Everything for them revolves around the other members of the Pakistani community. "What will people say" is the most important question for them.
Because Nisha doesn't conform, she is punished severely. It's amazing that this narrative film is actually based on events that happened to director Iram Haq.
In Bend it like Beckham, we have a comedy based on cultural clashes within an Indian family in England. This movie isn't like that. Cultural obedience becomes a literal matter of life and death.
Hva vil folk si is a grim, powerful film. Maria Mozhdah is a superb actor and she makes Nisha come to life. The movie wouldn't work with a less talented actor as the protagonist.
We saw this film at Rochester's outstanding Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum. It will work well enough on the small screen. I highly recommend it.
Maria Mozhdah plays Nisha. She's a teenager who has grown up in Norway. She lives with her parents and her older brother. Nisha clearly is integrated into her Scandinavian culture, but the rest of her family is not.
They appear to have no interest in Norway or Norwegians. Everything for them revolves around the other members of the Pakistani community. "What will people say" is the most important question for them.
Because Nisha doesn't conform, she is punished severely. It's amazing that this narrative film is actually based on events that happened to director Iram Haq.
In Bend it like Beckham, we have a comedy based on cultural clashes within an Indian family in England. This movie isn't like that. Cultural obedience becomes a literal matter of life and death.
Hva vil folk si is a grim, powerful film. Maria Mozhdah is a superb actor and she makes Nisha come to life. The movie wouldn't work with a less talented actor as the protagonist.
We saw this film at Rochester's outstanding Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum. It will work well enough on the small screen. I highly recommend it.