A college professor becomes embroiled in the lives of a young immigrant couple living in New York City and stumbles into an unexpected romance as a result.  As these strangers struggle to deal with their individual lives in a changed world, their shared humanity is revealed in awkward, humorous and dramatic ways. 

In The Visitor, Walter Vale, a widower of five years, lives an aimless life as a college economics professor in suburban Connecticut.  When Walter reluctantly agrees to fill in for a colleague at a conference in New York City he discovers a young couple, Tarek and Zainab, who have been scammed into illegally renting his vacant flat.  Walter agrees to let them stay until they find a place of their own and soon Walter and Tarek form a friendship of which the more guarded Zainab disapproves. However when an arbitrary interaction with the police lands Tarek, an undocumented New Yorker, in an ICE detention center Walter emerges as the only person able to visit Tarek.  When Tarek's mother Mouna appears in search of her son, Walter's emotional commitment in Tarek's case is sealed.  As the four people struggle to deal with the stark realities of the US immigration system and their own individual lives, their shared humanity is revealed in awkward, humorous and dramatic ways.

ABOUT THE CAST

RICHARD JENKINS (Walter Vale) has become one of the most in-demand character actors in Hollywood. Before his Hollywood career though, the actor developed a long and distinguished regional theater career, most notably a 15-year stint at Rhode Island's Trinity Repertory Theater, where he served as artistic director for four years. He snagged his first role as early as 1975, in the TV movie "Brother to Dragons," but did not begin working regularly until a small role in the Lawrence Kasdan film Silverado (1985). Supporting work in such films as Hannah And Her Sisters (1986), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), and Sea Of Love (1989) followed, and Jenkins spent the early '90s specializing in made-for-TV movies, including the adaptation of Randy Shilts' AIDS opus "And the Band Played On" (1993).
In the late '90s Jenkins started gaining wider appreciation, especially as he indulged in his talent for comedy. His appearance as an uptight gay FBI agent who gets accidentally drugged was one of the highlights of David O. Russell's Flirting With Disaster (1996), allowing him to convincingly act out an acid trip. Working again with Ben Stiller, Jenkins appeared as a psychiatrist in There's Something About Mary (1998), which launched a relationship with directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly. Jenkins appeared in the Farrelly-produced Outside Providence (1999) and Say It Ain't So (2001), as well as in the Farrelly-directed Me, Myself And Irene (2000). The actor then shifted over to another set of brother directors to portray the father of Scarlet Johansson's character in Joel and Ethan Coen's noir The Man Who Wasn't There (2001). In 2001, Jenkins also appeared in the first season of HBO's "Six Feet Under" as Nathaniel Fisher Sr., the sardonic funeral home director whom the characters remember as an impenetrable mystery, frugal with his praise and emotions.  Most recently, Jenkins has appeared in Intolerable Cruelty (2003), Cheaper By The Dozen (2003), I Heart Huckabees (2004), Shall We Dance (2004), North Country (2005), Fun With Dick And Jane (2005), and Rumor Has It (2005).
Director Tom McCarthy says, "I've long been an admirer of Richard and his work.  Very early on, as I was writing the script, I had him in mind for the role."

HAAZ SLEIMAN (Tarek) has feature film credits prior to his work on The Visitor including American Dreamz, The Ski Trip, Americaneast, What Goes Around, Offside, and In The Shadow.  Sleiman also had a co-starring role on "ER."  His theatre credits include Joys of Lipstick and The Royal Pardon.   

DANAI GURIRA (Zainab) was born in the United States to Zimbabwean parents and raised in Zimbabwae.  She received her M.F.A. in acting from New York University, where she appeared as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Ruby in King Hedley II.  She is a recipient of a 2006 OBIE Award and a 2006 John Gassner Outer Critics Award and has been honored by the Theater Hall of Fame.  In 2007 she won the Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress in a Play for her In the Continuum, which she also co-wrote.  Her television credits include Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

HIAM ABBASS (Mouna) was born in Nazareth, and studied photography and theatre before starting a career as an actress.  No longer able to stand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Abbas left her country in 1988. After a stay in London, she settled in Paris where her acting career in cinema began.  Her feature credits include Munich, The Nativity Story, Azur Et Asmar, Petites Revelations, and The Syrian Bride.  Hiam has also written and directed two short movies, Le Pain (2000) and La Danse Eternell (2003)

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

TOM MCCARTHY (Writer/Director)
THE VISITOR will be Tom McCarthy's follow up to the critically acclaimed film The Station Agent, released in 2003 by Miramax Films. The Station Agent premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it was awarded the Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.  The film was also awarded the BAFTA for Best Screenplay and two Independent Spirit Awards, including the John Cassavetes award.  The National Board of Review named it third on their list of Ten Best Films of the Year.  It was nominated for three SAG Awards including Best Ensemble and was also nominated by the WGA for Original Screenplay. The film also won awards at many Film Festivals including San Sebastian, Stockholm, Mexico City and Aspen.
As an actor, some of McCarthy's feature credits include Flags of our Fathers, Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, The Year of the Dog and Meet the Parents.   He will also be featured in the final season of HBO's critically acclaimed series The Wire. 

THE ART OF WORLD CINEMA

HOME