The English Sheik and the Yemeni Gentleman

2000·Yemen·76 min.
The English Sheik and the Yemeni Gentleman
Non rated
Available on
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A glimpse into life in the Yemen as rarely seen by Western audiences: images of the country's landscape and insight into the characters of the colorful Yemeni people and their rich customs. The film's journey across the Yemen is seen from the points of view of both expert and novice - The Sheikh and The Gentleman. The film introduces Bader Ben Hirsi, a British-Yemeni born and bred in London after his parents' exile from the Yemen in the 1960s for being relatives of the last ruling king, The Imam al Badr. Upon discovering the award-winning book, Yemen - Travels in Dictionary Land by Tim Mackintosh-Smith, Bader feels compelled to journey to the Yemen to discover his country, its people and traditions for himself. His main task, however, is to persuade the eccentric author, Mackintosh-Smith, an Englishman who has been living as a Yemeni in the ancient city of Sana'a for the past 18 years, to be his personal guide through the Yemen. A friendship soon develops between the 'Sheikh al Nasara...

CinematographyKoutaiba Al-Janabi
Original titleThe English Sheik and the Yemeni Gentleman