Three Veils

I was very moved by Three Veils. I found it to be carefully crafted and very well executed, skillfully revealing the hearts of three Muslim women living in America who, although related by friendship, are in very different circumstances.

The film begins, as relationships often begin, with optimism and good dose of humor. As the film progresses, we peer behind each woman's "veil" in turn, learning more about her history, her hopes, her wounds, her heart. In the process the light-hearted humor gives way to tenderness, heartbreak and compassion. I enjoyed the deliberate pace of the movie, which was slow without dragging. It felt respectful: the way you would get to know someone over time, building the trust necessary to truly see into her heart.

I think Angela Zahra did a remarkable job portraying Amira; Amira is a tender soul who will remain in my heart for some time. And Sheetal Sheth gave an excellent performance as Nikki. Nikki could've easily turned into a caricature, but Sheth portrayed her with both passion and restraint, ultimately revealing her gentle nature. The supporting cast also gave fine performances, making the film well-rounded and complete.

The characters are Muslim; some of their circumstances may be unfamiliar to non-Muslim audiences. But their hearts are the hearts of every woman; the women themselves are as familiar as the woman in the mirror. I look forward to seeing Three Veils a second, and perhaps a third, time to savor the depth of it.

I recently saw Three Veils at a screening in Alaska and was completely blown away by the film. It is a story about a specific period of time in the lives of three Muslim-American young women who are each dealing with their own struggles such as arranged marriage, lesbianism, substance abuse and who's lives are intertwined through friendship.

The director, Ms. Selbak, did a fantastic job in the way she wrote the film as we see the story told three times from the three different points of view of the three main leads. Leyla, who is dealing with an arranged marriage; Amira, who as a devout Muslim is having lesbian tendencies and Nikki, who is dealing with substance abuse while dealing with family issues.

While all of the above are very dark subject matters, Ms. Selbak interjects humor into the mix as well. I laughed with the film, I cried with the film.

The three lead actresses did a phenomenal job. I was especially taken with the performances of Sheetal Sheth as Nikki and Angela Zahra as Amira, both of which grab you from the beginning of the film and don't let go. It's refreshing to see such strong women characters in film. The supporting cast was also fabulous as well.

I would highly recommend this film to everyone but especially to women everywhere. While these are Muslim-American women in the film, the themes are universal to all women. They are struggles that we all face regardless of our ethnic, religious or societal backgrounds.

Thank you, Ms. Selbak for creating such an amazing film that I certainly connected with.

I saw the screening of Three Veil in San Francisco this past Sunday 10th April. It was definitely an eye opener! It was a very powerful movie in a way that made me aware that Muslim women have the same wants, needs and desires as women in any culture. Even though it was a serious movie about women in the Muslim culture, there was humor in it that I thought was wonderful because I didn't think Muslim women were allowed to have a sense of humor or allowed to laugh. The three women in the movie were very different in their own way but what stood out for me is their courage and strength to make the changes they needed for themselves and not for culture or society. I was impressed with how the director kept the stories of the three women light not heavy and too dark with good humor! I am ready to watch it again! The directors, producers and cast were wonderful!

Three Veils a film written and directed by Rolla Selbak is a real delicatessen in the independent film world. The film tells a revealing story of friendship and loyalty of three Muslim women: Nikki (Sheetal Sheth), Amira(Angela Zahra), and Leila (Mercedes MasÖhn). Each woman battles their own fears, insecurities and traumas. The film exquisitely looks closely at the lives of each woman showing their pain and struggles when dealing with social taboos, arranged marriage, and devastating insecurities caused by life-changing events. Love, friendship and trust are all stretched to the limits only to come back stronger than ever. Three Veils delivers a humorous dramatization which has a strong connection with reality itself, making the film powerful yet subtle, entertaining and an all-around eye-opening experience. Now a day it's hard to come around a film so complete; great acting, amazing story, humor, eye-opening reality, culture, music; it is absorbing and informative. I traveled from Colorado to San Francisco to see the film, because I knew that would be the only chance I'd have to see it before it's available to the public. Meeting the cast, the director and the producer, was a life-changing event for me, and every minute of the film was so worth it I will do it all over again.

The title of this review states it all. I was truly blown away by this film.

Rolla Selbak has created such an honest, beautiful film that tackles "controversial" issues that should not be controversial, as they are real and happen all the time all over the world. I truly respect her for being brave enough to tackle these issues, when it's a known fact that some groups of individuals were not going to be happy about the subject matter.

Sheetal Sheth continues to amaze me, as she gives another incredible performance in this film. Throughout the film she had me torn between laughter and crying as my heart broke for the struggles she had to deal with.

Angela Zahra and Mercedes Masohn also gave wonderful performances throughout the film, as I truly felt for their characters and what they were going through.

I waited over a year to see this film, and it was incredibly worth the wait. I recommend that everyone should watch this film, as I believe that everyone can take something valuable from it. Fantastic film!