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MATT THOMAS>> Matt Thomas here standing outside the illustrious Royal York Hotel about to
enter the exclusive after party for the World premiere of 'The World Unseen'.
MATT THOMAS>> Now in 'Water' you played a shunned widow and now in this playing you're
playing a lesbian
LISA RAY>> You have two different coloured eyes.
MATT THOMAS>> I do.
LISA RAY>> Ok sorry.
MATT THOMAS>> It's okay.moment.
LISA RAY>> See I pay attention
MATT THOMAS>> How was it like playing someone who was so... had their sexuality repressed
and their feminine identity repressed. Where did you draw from into playing that part.
LISA RAY>> I definitely felt a lot for the character. There was a point that I was even
potentially offered the other character who is a lot more liberated. But I was actually
more fascinated by Miriam's journey. I guess it just appeals to me. These sort of people
living on the fringes of society.
SHAMIM SARIF>> The character of Miriam was a tough one because it's kind of in the tradition
of 'The Hours'. It's the interior life of a woman. I knew it would be a very special
kind of actor to be able to portray that kind of thing on screen and compellingly because
there's not that much dialogue but it's all there on the face.
MATT THOMAS>> Cape Town is an usual setting for what is basically a South Asian lesbian
love story set during the apartheid era. What do you think that adds to the story of two
taboo lovers?
SHAMIM SARIF>> On a simple level its kind of reflective on what goes on in their personal
lives. The kind of oppression that apartheid brings to that era. What interested me about
that time and that place and it is still true of many cultures today, is how people don't
challenge the status quo. They have a certain place in society or within their family or
within their communities and it never changes. Personal happiness or what you are getting
out of life doesn't always come into the equation. So it was interesting to me to build another
character of Amina, the rebel, into there. And to investigate what happens when somebody
like that influences somebody like Miriam who's sort of the traditional housewife and
mother. But Miriam is somebody who has that integrity and courage to walk through a door
that's open for her by Amina.
NOAH COWAN>> Something like 'The World Unseen' is kind of a fragile beauty because you have
South Africa which is emerging from, you know, years of oppression. To try and embrace that
there are gays and lesbians within their midst. And the fact a film could be pretty much wholly
produced there of this nature. The fact that it is being celebrated and the South African
government is quite proud of its existence, I think is a really wonderful thing.
DEEPA MEHTA>> I'm really looking forward to 'The World Unseen' because I read the script
and it was fabulous and Lisa is very proud of it. So that makes it a must see as far
as I'm concerned.
LISA RAY>> The script is just stunning and it's based on a novel which has love as well.
'The World Unseen' written by Shamim Sarif my director. My director is fantastic.
MATT THOMAS>> How would you describe you translated the feelings of romance which are very well
put down in the book, into the film?
SHAMIM SARIF>> I think we used a lot of anticipation in the film. So that the first kiss between
Amina and Miriam comes quite a way into the film and as a result, I think by that point
everybody is like just desparate for it to happen. I think that's often the case with
romance.
MATT THOMAS>> What was it like to have an on screen kiss with your co-star?
LISA RAY>> We don't want to give to much away right?
MATT THOMAS>> Pardon me. Pardon me.
(laughter) �