I Can't Think Straight
Synopsis
Spirited Christian Tala and shy Muslim Leyla could not be more different from each other, but the attraction is immediate and goes deeper than friendship. But Tala is not ready to accept the implications of the choice her heart has made for her and escapes back to Jordan, while Leyla tries to move on with her new-found life, to the shock of her tradition-loving parents.
As Tala's wedding day approaches, simmering tensions come to boiling point and the pressure mounts for Tala to be true to herself.
Moving between the vast enclaves of Middle Eastern high society and the stunning backdrop of London's West End, I Can't Think Straight explores the clashes between East and West, love and marriage, conventions and individuality, creating a humorous and tender story of unexpected love and unusual freedoms.
Details
- Year
- 2010
- Type of film
- Features
- Running time
- 80 mins
- Format
- 35mm
- Director
-
Shamim Sarif 1st Feature
- Producer
- Lisa Tchenguiz, Kelly Moss, Mervyn Wilson
- Editor
- David Martin
- Screenwriter
- Shamim Sarif, Kelly Moss
- Director of Photography
- Aseem Bajaj
Categories
Production Status
Production Company
Enlightenment Productions
77 Cheyne CourtRoyal Hospital Road
London SW3 5TT
UK
T +44 (0)20 7824 8755
Sales Company
ENLIGHTENMENT FILMS Ltd
77 Cheyne CourtRoyal Hospital Road
London SW3 5TT
UK
hanan@enlightenment-films.com
Page updates
This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.
See also
You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.
Polarized
Director: Shamim Sarif
Year: 2023
In a fading small town, Lisa goes to work at a ‘vertical farm’ - the kind of new science that she blames for pushing traditional farms, like her family’s, out of business. Dalia and her successful, Muslim family own this new farm - and they struggle to find a welcoming place in the local community. Weeks before Dalia’s wedding, a heated encounter between the two young women exposes deep prejudices and results in Lisa losing her job. But it’s only the start of an unexpected connection between two women from the same town, but very different worlds. As the pair enjoy a growing friendship and attraction, they will have to break the barriers of race, religion and class that keep them apart, or risk settling for the lives their families have laid out for them.
The World Unseen
Director: Shamim Sarif
Year: 2008
In 1950s South Africa, apartheid is just beginning. Free-spirited Amina has broken all the rules of her own conventional Indian community, and the new apartheid-led government, by running a café with Jacob her 'coloured' business partner. When she meets Miriam, a young traditional wife and mother, their unexpected attraction pushes Miriam to question the rules that bind her. When Amina helps Miriam’s sister-in-law to hide from the police, a chain of events is set in motion that changes both women forever. In a system that divides white from black and women from men, what chance is there for an unexpected love to survive?
Despite the Falling Snow
Director: Shamim Sarif
Year: 2015
Moscow, 1959: Katya is young, beautiful – and a spy for the Americans. When she begins spying on Alexander, an idealistic Communist politician, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with him. Her choice between love and duty leads to a nail-biting conclusion that Alexander can only unravel decades later in New York. His journey back to the snowbound streets of Moscow uncovers an unexpected love triangle and betrayals from those he trusted most.