It’s all about keeping up appearances in Zayn Alexandre’s short film, Saint Rose. The story centers on a discontented Muslim housewife navigating the pressures of hosting her daughter’s engagement ceremony. While her husband assumes control over the elaborate preparations, the wife retreats into a private routine to cope. She listens to foreign language tapes in solitude, meticulously organizes small tasks like squeezing oranges and setting a tray of candied snacks, and increasingly relies on vodka discreetly handed to her by the housemaid in a water bottle.
As the evening’s event approaches, the wife struggles with her growing distress. Her private moments of calm are often interrupted by the chaos of the household, where her husband dominates the arrangements, and her Kenyan maid, Becky, quietly supports her clandestine habit. She hides her feelings as company arrives, but the pressure eventually culminates in a panic attack as she desperately searches for more vodka.
“…a discontented Muslim housewife navigating the pressures of hosting her daughter’s engagement ceremony.”
The film intimately portrays her internal conflict, revealing how she hides her unhappiness. Saint Rose is not a grand narrative of events but a snapshot—a moment in time in Rose’s existence—and the film’s sole purpose is to put us in her shoes and empathize with her pain—rightly or wrongly.
Filmmaker Alexandre sets the mood perfectly, placing us in a cold living room of muted colors. Then, we are close up on Ghada Basma as Rose with every feeling, emotion, and smoldering turmoil. Saint Rose is all about feelings and our attempts to hide them from view.
"…It’s all about keeping up appearances."
