The Perfumed Garden (2000)
• April 29th, 2000 • 0h 52min
Documentary
Overview
THE PERFUMED GARDEN is an exploration of the myths and realities of sensuality and sexuality in Arab society, a world of taboos and of erotic literature. Through interviews with men and women of all ages, classes, and sexual orientation, the film lifts a corner of the veil that usually shrouds discussion of this subject in the Arab world. Made by an Algerian-French woman director, the film begins by looking at the record of a more permissive history, and ends with the experiences of contemporary lovers from mixed backgrounds. It examines the personal issues raised by the desire for pleasure, amidst societal pressures for chastity and virginity. The film discusses pre-marital sex, courtship and marriage, familial pressures, private vs. public spaces, social taboos (and the desire to break them), and issues of language.
Make sure to check your pop-up blocker!!
Trailer
Similar Movies
Kompleta
Released on: 2025-05-10
Documentary
The film is an intimate record of a difficult period in the life of the creators. The main character...
Do I Sound Gay?
Released on: 2015-07-10
Documentary
What makes a voice “gay”? A breakup with his boyfriend sets journalist David Thorpe on a quest to un...
My Village in Nunavik
Released on: 1999-01-01
Documentary
Shot during three seasons, Kenuajuak's documentary tenderly portrays village life and the elements t...
Seven Winters in Tehran
Released on: 2023-03-29
Documentary, Drama
After seven years in prison, a female student in Tehran is hanged for murder. She had acted in self-...
Watched
Released on: 2017-04-20
Documentary
This short 19-minute documentary is an intimate and moving exploration of the profound and far-reach...
Strijdmakker
Released on: 2025-02-20
Documentary
VPRO icon Wim Brands died on April 4, 2016. He was known to the general public as a presenter of the...
Fitna
Released on: 2008-03-27
Documentary
A short film in which Quran verses are shown alongside images from terrorist attacks.
Pushkar Puran
Released on: 2017-10-14
Documentary
An attempt to engage with the historical, mythical and the contemporary worlds of the city of Pushka...
On the Track of Robert Van Gulik
Released on: 2016-09-25
Documentary
Robert van Gulik (1910-1967) is one of the world’s most read authors from the Netherlands. This dipl...
Boll Mo: Sexism in Kosova
Released on: 2023-01-07
Documentary
A documentary exploring sexism and patriarchy in Kosova.
Die Ehe
Released on: 1929-04-23
Drama, Documentary
Marriage and sexuality is examined through the lens of screenwriter Dr. van de Velde, a Dutch gynoco...
Chasing the dragon
Released on: 2021-01-09
Documentary
Unexpected shelter made of prefabs in the heart of a burning city, the supervised drug consumption f...
River to the Heart
Released on: 2017-11-04
Documentary
Eddy L. Harris is the author of the lauded travel book “Mississippi Solo” (1988), which chronicled h...
Nomad Meets the City
Released on: 2020-03-07
Documentary
Currently Mongolia’s capital has 1.5 million inhabitants - half the population of the country. 50-ye...
Little White Lie
Released on: 2014-11-21
Documentary
Lacey Schwartz grew up in a typical upper-middle-class Jewish household in Woodstock, NY, with lovin...
The Accused: Damned or Devoted?
Released on: 2020-02-23
Documentary
Against the backdrop of Pakistan's elections, this film follows the rise of powerful cleric Khadim H...
Omar Sharif: Citizen of the World
Released on: 2020-02-15
Documentary, TV Movie
Several high-budget epic films became Omar Sharif (1932-2015) a film star. He was an actor, but also...
Pouvoir Oublier
Released on: 2025-05-30
Documentary
Pouvoir Oublier is a political documentary first constructed from the words of the speakers whose li...