Ross Garland Movies

A new pastime sends a woman down a path of spiritual chaos and financial ruin in this drama from South Africa. When she was a teenager, Abeeda (Rayda Jacobs) lived a reckless life, but as a middle-aged single mother she's learned the importance of responsibility and has become a devout Muslim. Abeeda spends most of her free time with a small circle of friends from her mosque, and one day one of her pals, Garaatie (Nabeweya Scello), invites Abeeda to join her for a visit to a local gambling casino. Abeeda is wary, but she tries playing a slot machine and to her surprise hit the jackpot on her first coin. While Garaatie enjoys an occasional visit to the casino, Abeeda becomes deeply fascinated with playing the slots, and after the death of her son Reza, her new hobby becomes an obsession. Abeeda is very much aware that her faith forbids gambling, but her addiction to slot machines drowns out her sense of personal morality, and before long her habit has robbed her of her life savings as she prays for a way out of her predicament. Confessions Of A Gambler was adapted for a novel by Rayda Jacobs, who also plays Abeeda and directed the film in collaboration with Amanda Lane. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The family film Bustin' Bonaparte features youngsters getting revenge on a man attempting to do harm to the woman who cares for them. On a farm managed by a man named Otto, Otto's son Waldo and a pair of orphans attempt to break-up the relationship between Aunt Sannie, who owns the farm, and the conniving Bonaparte Blenkins (Richard E. Grant). In order to facilitate the plan, the kids utilize some the animals who live on the farm. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi