CONFESSIONS OF A GAMBLER

South Africa/2007/Afrikaans dialogue with English subtitles/Colour/35mm/87 mins

In Cape Town, Abeeda (Rayda Jacobs) is a devout Muslim mother of grown children. She wears traditional garments and prays five times a day, but a chance trip to the casino, and a big win, cause her to stray. When her son dies, she turns to the casino for solace, and her addiction spirals out of control. Soon, this intelligent and independent woman has lost everything, and finds herself with mounting debts and a dangerous involvement with gangsters.

“Rayda Jacobs co-directs and stars in this very funny and poignant story of devotion and addiction, based on her own critically acclaimed novel of the same name. It is a fascinating look at the very distinctive Cape Muslim community in South Africa, whose ancestors arrived in the country as slaves centuries ago. Jacobs gives a wonderful turn as the confident, but damaged, Abeeda, and her deep knowledge of her community shines through in a film that confounds stereotypes with a story of faith and love, lost and regained.” – Nashen Moodley

Director(s) :

Amanda Lane

AMANDA LANE studied at the University of Cape Town and the AFDA film school. She has been a writer and director for the TV drama series Zone 14 and is currently developing a feature film script with Angus Gibson. RAYDA JACOBS was born in Cape Town and lived in Toronto from 1968 to 1995. Her first novel, Eyes of the Sky (1995), won the Herman Charles Bosman Award, as did Confessions of a Gambler (2004). She has produced a number of documentaries, including Portrait of Muslim Women.

Rayda Jacobs
Crew : , Zaheer Bhyat(Producer), Costa John Theo(Producer), Ross Garland(Producer), Jonathan Kovel(Cinematographer), Ronelle Loots(Editor), Sean Michael(Main Cast), Steven Pillemer(Main Cast), Reza Kippie(Main Cast), Tauriq Jenkins(Main Cast), Nurie Slamdien(Main Cast)
MPAA Rating : Contains strong language
Format : Colour/35mm
Running Time : 87 mins
Country : South Africa
Programme : The Cinema of Africa
Venue : Mall of the Emirates - CineStar 11, Mall of the Emirates - CineStar 11, Mall of the Emirates - CineStar 11, Mall of the Emirates - CineStar 11
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