Ocean of Pearls (2008) User Reviews

This film - Best way to Portray Sikhs in Canada or America

[kuldeeppunjab-489-819628 · 7/10 · 6 January 2013]

Well, This Film is different. It doesn't show Sikhs making jokes of themselves. This is serious Film with some serious issues.

Synopsis : A Canadian born Sikh Amrit Singh had some unanswered questions in his mind about his religion an culture, but he is good at his job, researching about organ transplant techniques. He has to take a plane to Detroit to give a presentation about his theory, but at airport he got stuck in security issues due to his turban. He found that these people are interested in hiring him and gave him an offer he can't refuse, leaving behind his family and girlfriend also. When he reached Detroit, he learned that there is big politics in clinic.He thought that he is not getting chances because of his turban. So he decides to cut his hairs but decides not to told his family and even his girlfriend who also visit him in Detroit. He is also attracted to his American colleague. Also he wanted to help a lady Mary Stewart whose liver is totally damaged but hospital board didn't consider her named because she has no money. One day nearby Toronto his parents arranged a camp for children and adults to teach about Sikhism. There he argued with his father and removed his turban to show them his cut hairs. His father got hurt. He then told him his story of Sikhs in past who rebels against the Muslims and never cut there hairs.He also told him 1947 Indo-Pak Partition where his father n brother got killed in riots. He told him that don't fear for a physical death, but when conscience dies, that is a real death. Thats all for Amrit. He Got his answers. Then in Detroit, he operated Mary Stewart without the permission of clinic Board and did it successfully and quit that job. At end scene, He throws scissors in dustbin and wear turban and attends a family function.

Well, I hope this film will educates the world about Sikhism in a positive way and respect their turban, not treating them as a Cap or something.And the Sikhs should keep in mind they are not forced to keep hairs n wear turban, they are free. But if they want to have turban nobody in world can dare to STOP them.

A moving experience

[puneetkohli · 10/10 · 5 April 2008]

I saw this movie tonight at the Reel World Film Festival in Toronto, expecting another one of those immigrant culture clash cultural pieces in line with the Bollywood-Hollywood/Bhaji on the Beach types that contain poorly developed characters, bad acting, loud political messages and contrived and simplistic plot lines. The fact that it was helmed by a first time director with no previous film experience did not help me in formulating my preconception. Boy was I wrong! Ocean of Pearls is a moving and ultimately redeeming spiritual voyage that intelligently touched upon such topics as faith, assimilation, materialism, family and HMOs in modern secular America, while telling the story of a young Sikh-Canadian doctor who loses his faith in his religion and profession when taking on new job at a private Detroit hospital. Its not as profound (or heady) as an Ingmar Bergman film (and is not intended to be), but for a family drama it carries great weight and is a refreshingly honest portrayal of South Asians in North America.

Excellent film

[pkhosa-1 · 10/10 · 15 October 2008]

I saw "Ocean of Pearls" at the Sikh film festival 2008 in NYC 2008. This movie is inspirational on so many levels. The complexities of life and choices are portrayed in very impressive manner. The hard work and dedication of all involved in the creation of this work of art are evident to anyone who watches it.Watching this movie really forces you to evaluate your own conscience and ask yourself questions about who you are and who you want to be as a human being. You will find yourself thinking about things that you might have not ever thought about before. A great movie to invest a couple of hours of your time. I know this movie will be enjoyed by any who see it.

A mind-boggling, mind-blowing, and mind juggling film

[bki1226 · 9/10 · 29 June 2008]

It has been a long time since I've seen a movie that was so remarkable to watch. Ocean of Pearls encompasses you in a world of hardships, hopes, and, dreams. This film makes you feel connected to the characters in the movie even though the circumstances between the audience and the characters are vastly different. It's a simple story really, yet has an eternal message. The leading role, Amrit Singh-a Sikh- who embarked on a journey when he is offered the job of his dreams at a new organ transplant facility in Detroit. To conform, Amrit decides cut of his beloved hair to make and everlasting impression upon his board of directors. The aftermath is only more interesting, how far a man would go to fulfill his hopes and dreams? Ocean of Pearls paints a vivid picture of today's world consent vs. denial. If you ever have the chance to go see it I highly recommend because it was so beautifully done.

Window to Sikhs

[airearthfire · 12 December 2012]

Ocean of Pearls (2008) by Director Sarab Singh Neelam & Starring Omid Abtahi. A young Sikh surgeon, moves from Toronto to Detroit to take a position at a new transplant facility, leaving behind his family and Indian girlfriend.

Ocean of Pearls was better than I'd anticipated, time well spent!

Prior to seeing this film, my exposure to the culture of South Asians in films was limited to the James Bond Flick Octopussy (1983), The English Patient (1996) a most unpleasant movie with a Jewel of a Secondary Story in the Middle starring Juliette Binoche and Naveen Andrews and the CBC Movie Trilogy – Jinnah: On Crime (2002) featuring a Investigative Crime Beat Reporter.

While the film makers' state at the end of the film the actor cutting his hair is wearing a wig, the irony is that in a later scene we witness the actor's actual hairline is receding. This was one fact I would have preferred not knowing. I would have preferred to go on believing, albeit naively, that Sikhs don't suffer from Male Pattern Baldness. I wanted to go on believing they all had full heads of hair beneath their Turbans.

At any rate, film did cause me to look back at the History in India in order to identify the tragedy that the lead character's father endured as a child. I was already been aware of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 and the wholesale slaughter of innocent Sikhs in 1984 following the Assassination of Indira Gandhi, but I was not aware of the estimate deaths between 200,000 to 1 Million from the resulting violence during the Partitioning of India in 1947, involving the relocation of 7 Million Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs.