Liya Kebede Plays Waris Dirie in Desert Flower
Posted on March 18, 2011
Ethiopian model Liya Kebede plays model Waris Dirie in the film Desert Flower. The film tells the story of how Waris escaped an oppressive life in the African desert in her teens.
Waris was sold in to marriage as a young girl in Somalia, but escaped to London. In London, Waris was discovered by fashion photographer. She became an activist against the horrible practice of female genital mutilation or female genital cutting (FGC). Waris founded the Desert Flower Foundation in Vienna, Austria, an organization aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of FGC.
The new film is based on Waris' book, Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad (William Morrow). Take a look:
Note: We may receive a commission from sales made through product links in this post.