Sabah: A Love Story (2005)

Cast: Arsinée Khanjian, Shawn Doyle, Fadia Nadda, Jeff Seymour, Kathryn Winslow, David Alpay, Aaron Abrams, Kaylen Christensen, Setta Keshishian, Roula Said

Sabah who's single, just turns forty. Her family comes together to celebrate her birthday. They are conservative muslim Syrians who migrated many moons ago to Toronto. After their father's demise years back, Sabah's brother Majid took over the family business, and also took it upon himself as the head of the family. As such he routinely imposes traditional restrictions to curb the 'western' desires of his wife, sister, and neice. Sabah's job is to take care of her mother. On her daily errands, she stops by at a local club to swim in the afternoons. There she runs into Steven, a furniture maker, whom she falls in love with. The problem is Sabah's forced to lead a double life for fear of her family discovering their forbidden love.
How the secret unfolds forms the latter part of the story. This reminded me a little of the Big Fat Greek Wedding only more real and subdued. Sensitive topics like wearing the hijab are portrayed naturally without much hoohah.

This is easily a fun, thought-provoking movie.
Rating: Four stars.