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MTDb โ€บ Best of โ€บ 2009 โ€บ Desert Flower

Desert Flower poster

Desert Flower (2009)

โ€œThe extraordinary true story of the woman who crossed the desert and changed the world.โ€

7.6/10 ยท 504 votes 2h 7m Drama

#22 of 242 films from 2009 #595 of 3759 in drama

Directed by Sherry Hormann ยท Written by Waris Dirie

โ–ถ Trailer, images & where to stream

Overview

The autobiography of a Somalian nomad who was sold in marriage at 13, fled from Africa a while later to become finally an American supermodel and is now at the age of 38, the UN spokeswoman against female genital mutilation.

Cast

Liya Kebedeas Waris Dirie
Sally Hawkinsas Marylin
Craig Parkinsonas Neil
Meera Syalas Pushpa Patel
Anthony Mackieas Harold Jackson
Juliet Stevensonas Lucinda
Timothy Spallas Terry Donaldson
Lucrezia Phantaziaas Girl in Boardinghouse
Soraya Omar-Scegoas Young Waris
Anna Hilgedieckas Girl in Shower
Matthew Alexander Kaufmanas Fastfood Manager
Prashant Prabhakaras Kami
Tim Seyfias Simon
Teresa Churcheras Nurse Anne

Facts

Release dateSeptember 24, 2009
Runtime127 min (2h 7m) โ€” longer as the 2009 average of 105 min
GenresDrama
LanguageEN
Box office$14,682,943
IMDbtt1054580

More from Sherry Hormann

3096 Days3096 Days2013 ยท โ˜… 7.4 ยท 1h 51m

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Questions

How long is Desert Flower?
Desert Flower runs 127 minutes (2h 7m).
Is Desert Flower worth watching?
TMDB users give it 7.6/10 across 504 votes, which places it #22 of 242 films released in 2009 in this index (top 91%) and #595 among 3759 drama titles.
Who directed Desert Flower?
Desert Flower was directed by Sherry Hormann. Other well-rated titles by the same director: 3096 Days (2013).
Who stars in Desert Flower?
Liya Kebede as Waris Dirie; Sally Hawkins as Marylin; Craig Parkinson as Neil; Meera Syal as Pushpa Patel; Anthony Mackie as Harold Jackson; Juliet Stevenson as Lucinda.
Where can I watch the trailer for Desert Flower?
Open the title in the MTDb app for trailers, images and streaming links: https://mv.peoplentools.com/titles/9687.

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Film data and images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Ratings are TMDB user scores as of 2026-10-05.