"Desert Flower" is the film adaptation of Somali-born supermodel Waris Dirie's autobiography with the same name. Waris escaped an arranged marriage in her native Somalia and ended up in London working as a maid at the Somali embassy. When war breaks out in Somalia the embassy closed and Waris ends up on the streets. She ends up working at a fast-food resturant and is discovered by one of London's top fashion photographers. As she climbs the ranks to supermodel status, Waris becomes a face for the fight to abolish female genital mutilation by sharing the story of her own mutilation and encouraging fellow Africans to abolish this practice.
Though I have not read the book, I did enjoy this film. It was truly an inspiring story about a woman who survived so much and then was brave enough to put a beautiful face on the ugliness of female genital mutilation. I think it is easy to overlook how deeply rooted this practice was in her culture and therefore how brave it was for Waris to speak out on the issue. It was so moving when Waris tells a reporter that she loves her mother and then shares the grisly tale of how her mother took her as a toddler to have this procedure done. The movie is well-cast, especially Liya Kebede as Waris. It's an inspiring story that's difficult to watch at times but I feel like it's important to face important issues like this. Solid B+ for me.
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