Desert Flower (2011)

Desert Flower poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $44,348Details
International Box Office $18,360,936Details
Worldwide Box Office $18,405,284
Further financial details...

Synopsis

Like in a fairy tale, Somalian-born Waris Dirie became one of the world's most sought-after top models. Born into a family of goat-herding nomads, Waris' fascinating path would take her from the Northeast African deserts to the world's most prestigious fashion runways and magazines. At 13, Waris fled forced marriage and crossed days of desert alone before reaching the Somali capital Mogadishu. Relatives soon shipped her off to London to work as a servant in the Somali embassy, where she spent the rest of her adolescent years in illiteracy. When faced with the threat of returning to war-torn Somalia, Waris finds herself homeless and illegal. Spunky shop girl Marilyn takes Waris in and becomes a trusted friend. While working in a fast food restaurant, Waris is discovered by star photographer Terry Donaldson, and ambitious agent Lucinda guides her transformation into a working model. But behind the glamorous façade of Waris' new life lies a deeply heart-stirring fate. Despite her success, Waris remains burdened by a violent childhood secret. At the height of her career, Waris reveals to the world that she was a victim of female genital mutilation. Her story unleashes a wave of sympathy and controversy, and Waris decides to dedicate her life to fighting this barbaric tradition.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$7,657 (17.3% of total gross)
Legs:4.19 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:0.2% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:3 opening theaters/8 max. theaters, 3.0 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $60,282

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: March 18th, 2011 (Limited) by National Geographic Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for some violent content, a scene of sexuality and language.
(Rating bulletin 2131, 7/28/2010)
Running Time: 124 minutes
Comparisons: vs. The Ramen Girl
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Biography, Sex Crimes, Fashion, Religious
Source:Based on Factual Book/Article
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production/Financing Companies: Desert Flower Filmproductions, Dor Film, Majestic Filmproduktion, BSI Intl. Invest, Bac Films, Mr. Brown Entertainment, MTM West Film & Television, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Backup Films
Production Countries: Australia, Germany, United Kingdom
Languages: English, Somali

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Mar 18, 2011 79 $7,657   3 $2,552   $7,657 1
Mar 25, 2011 74 $10,594 +38% 6 $1,766   $22,274 2
Apr 1, 2011 81 $8,295 -22% 8 $1,037   $35,554 3
Apr 8, 2011 98 $1,944 -77% 3 $648   $41,757 4
Apr 15, 2011 102 $767 -61% 2 $384   $43,584 5
Apr 22, 2011 123 $102 -87% 1 $102   $44,282 6
Apr 29, 2011 115 $66 -35% 1 $66   $44,348 7

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Mar 18, 2011 80 $11,679   3 $3,893   $11,679 1
Mar 25, 2011 80 $15,580 +33% 6 $2,597   $27,259 2
Apr 1, 2011 81 $12,553 -19% 8 $1,569   $39,812 3
Apr 8, 2011 97 $3,004 -76% 3 $1,001   $42,817 4
Apr 15, 2011 106 $1,363 -55% 2 $682   $44,180 5
Apr 22, 2011 128 $102 -93% 1 $102   $44,282 6
Apr 29, 2011 119 $66 -35% 1 $66   $44,348 7

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Leading Cast

Liya Kebede    Waris Dirie

Supporting Cast

Sally Hawkins    Marilyn
Timothy Spall    Donaldson
Juliet Stevenson    Luncinda
Greg Parkinson    Neil
Anthony Mackie    Harold
Meera Syal    Pushpa
Soraya Omar-Scego    Young Waris

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Sherry Hormann    Director
Clara Fabry    Editor
Peter Herrmann    Producer
Benjamin Herrmann    Co-Producer
Danny Krausz    Co-Producer

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for July 19th, 2011

July 18th, 2011

Looking at the overall strength of the home market releases this week and there's not a lot to look forward to. If you don't count Rango, which came out on Blu-ray / DVD on Friday, then the biggest hit of the week is Limitless. That film is worth picking up on Blu-ray, but it's not exactly Pick of the Week material. In fact, the best release on this week's list is Once Upon a Time in America, which made its Blu-ray debut at the end of May, but the screener arrived very late. Despite this, I'm awarding it the Pick of the Week. More...

It was Win Win Win Win on the Per Theater Chart

March 22nd, 2011

There were a quartet of strong performers on the per theater chart this past weekend with Bill Cunningham New York coming out on top with $33,677 in its lone theater. However, while Win Win came in second, it was close behind with $30,072 while it was playing in five theaters, instead of just one, so you could argue it had the better start. Jane Eyre remained potent with an average of $17,939, while its theater count grew from 4 to 26. It will start hitting major milestones very soon. Nostalgia for the Light was the final $10,000 film with $10,681 in one theater. More...

Going to See Limited Releases is a Win Win Proposition

March 18th, 2011

It's another rather busy week for limited releases, plus there are a few that have might expand wide enough to earn some measure of mainstream success. There are a few very impressive documentaries on this week's list, while hopefully narrative films like Win Win or The Music Never Stopped can continue the mini-winning streak limited releases have had. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

Like in a fairy tale, Somalian-born Waris Dirie became one of the world's most sought-after top models. Born into a family of goat-herding nomads, Waris' fascinating path would take her from the Northeast African deserts to the world's most prestigious fashion runways and magazines. At 13, Waris fled forced marriage and crossed days of desert alone before reaching the Somali capital Mogadishu. Relatives soon shipped her off to London to work as a servant in the Somali embassy, where she spent the rest of her adolescent years in illiteracy. When faced with the threat of returning to war-torn Somalia, Waris finds herself homeless and illegal. Spunky shop girl Marilyn takes Waris in and becomes a trusted friend. While working in a fast food restaurant, Waris is discovered by star photographer Terry Donaldson, and ambitious agent Lucinda guides her transformation into a working model. But behind the glamorous façade of Waris' new life lies a deeply heart-stirring fate. Despite her success, Waris remains burdened by a violent childhood secret. At the height of her career, Waris reveals to the world that she was a victim of female genital mutilation. Her story unleashes a wave of sympathy and controversy, and Waris decides to dedicate her life to fighting this barbaric tradition.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$7,657 (17.3% of total gross)
Legs:4.19 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:0.2% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:3 opening theaters/8 max. theaters, 3.0 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $60,282

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: March 18th, 2011 (Limited) by National Geographic Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for some violent content, a scene of sexuality and language.
(Rating bulletin 2131, 7/28/2010)
Running Time: 124 minutes
Comparisons: vs. The Ramen Girl
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Biography, Sex Crimes, Fashion, Religious
Source:Based on Factual Book/Article
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production/Financing Companies: Desert Flower Filmproductions, Dor Film, Majestic Filmproduktion, BSI Intl. Invest, Bac Films, Mr. Brown Entertainment, MTM West Film & Television, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Backup Films
Production Countries: Australia, Germany, United Kingdom
Languages: English, Somali

Leading Cast

Liya Kebede    Waris Dirie

Supporting Cast

Sally Hawkins    Marilyn
Timothy Spall    Donaldson
Juliet Stevenson    Luncinda
Greg Parkinson    Neil
Anthony Mackie    Harold
Meera Syal    Pushpa
Soraya Omar-Scego    Young Waris

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Sherry Hormann    Director
Clara Fabry    Editor
Peter Herrmann    Producer
Benjamin Herrmann    Co-Producer
Danny Krausz    Co-Producer

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for July 19th, 2011

July 18th, 2011

Looking at the overall strength of the home market releases this week and there's not a lot to look forward to. If you don't count Rango, which came out on Blu-ray / DVD on Friday, then the biggest hit of the week is Limitless. That film is worth picking up on Blu-ray, but it's not exactly Pick of the Week material. In fact, the best release on this week's list is Once Upon a Time in America, which made its Blu-ray debut at the end of May, but the screener arrived very late. Despite this, I'm awarding it the Pick of the Week. More...

It was Win Win Win Win on the Per Theater Chart

March 22nd, 2011

There were a quartet of strong performers on the per theater chart this past weekend with Bill Cunningham New York coming out on top with $33,677 in its lone theater. However, while Win Win came in second, it was close behind with $30,072 while it was playing in five theaters, instead of just one, so you could argue it had the better start. Jane Eyre remained potent with an average of $17,939, while its theater count grew from 4 to 26. It will start hitting major milestones very soon. Nostalgia for the Light was the final $10,000 film with $10,681 in one theater. More...

Going to See Limited Releases is a Win Win Proposition

March 18th, 2011

It's another rather busy week for limited releases, plus there are a few that have might expand wide enough to earn some measure of mainstream success. There are a few very impressive documentaries on this week's list, while hopefully narrative films like Win Win or The Music Never Stopped can continue the mini-winning streak limited releases have had. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Mar 18, 2011 79 $7,657   3 $2,552   $7,657 1
Mar 25, 2011 74 $10,594 +38% 6 $1,766   $22,274 2
Apr 1, 2011 81 $8,295 -22% 8 $1,037   $35,554 3
Apr 8, 2011 98 $1,944 -77% 3 $648   $41,757 4
Apr 15, 2011 102 $767 -61% 2 $384   $43,584 5
Apr 22, 2011 123 $102 -87% 1 $102   $44,282 6
Apr 29, 2011 115 $66 -35% 1 $66   $44,348 7

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Mar 18, 2011 80 $11,679   3 $3,893   $11,679 1
Mar 25, 2011 80 $15,580 +33% 6 $2,597   $27,259 2
Apr 1, 2011 81 $12,553 -19% 8 $1,569   $39,812 3
Apr 8, 2011 97 $3,004 -76% 3 $1,001   $42,817 4
Apr 15, 2011 106 $1,363 -55% 2 $682   $44,180 5
Apr 22, 2011 128 $102 -93% 1 $102   $44,282 6
Apr 29, 2011 119 $66 -35% 1 $66   $44,348 7

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.