Projects in genres: Asian

Synopsis

Across the Waters is a poetic, reflective journey between two cultures. Fifty years ago, a young girl arrived on the island of Lewis from a village in Pakistan. Now, her granddaughter is going to leave the island. Three generations of Pakistani women and a Gaelic islander give a personal perspective on the island's history, and the sense of belonging and exile that has defined their existence.

Synopsis

This documentary presents the architectural concept of 'Cargo Fleet', which juxtaposes materials from the shipbuilding yards of the North East of England into the urban landscape of Islington. The house is revealed through the reflections of a group of people - actors, dancers, musicians, and artists. Their experience of the place unfolds like a tapestry to which the muses themselves then add their voice. The director plays with contrasting forms and styles, weaving music and language together. She reveals the interior and exterior in shifts of mood and ambience, presenting the viewer with an aural and visual feast. With poetry by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Shakespeare, San Juan de la Cruz and Alexander Pope. Music by Andrew Peggie and Raiomond Mirza.

Synopsis

2Be is an original, dynamic, musical-documentary about human rights.   Filmed over a period of five months, 2Be follows students from Abbeydale Grange School in Sheffield, UK - a school where over 51 different languages are spoken - as they develop a series of musical sequences about human rights.   The contrast between their revealing personal stories and triumphant performances creates an intimate and inspiring documentary.

Synopsis

A detailed behind ths scenes documentary on how to make an ultra-low budget short film. From rehearsing with professional boxers to the final shoot.   Players include professional boxers such as Ricky Hatton W.B.U. lightweight champion, Michael Gomez British super featherweight champion. Shooting at locations such as the Salford Lads Club - where The Smiths shot their front cover.

Synopsis

An observational documentary about Natty, a 19-year-old from Birmingham, who has just been released from prison, where he was sent for violent crime. Will financial and peer pressure lead Natty back into gang crime? Through the course of filming, Moby Longinotto raises difficult questions - should we be observing these lives and if and when should we be getting involved?  

Synopsis

Coloring the Media begins with the premise that since the invention of the camera, Native Americans were the very first people to be documented either in photographs or in moving pictures. This film explores this journey as European Americans used the camera as a propaganda tool to depict native peoples in America as less than human. Through the development of stereotypes, and inadequate research, early films depicting native peoples set into motion a language of film that is still being used today. This language came to affect all peoples of colour around the world as they were often portrayed as ignorant or noble savages whose only good was to make the European look superior, civilized and just in their cause - which was more often than not the civilization of the savage. By using contemporary films such as Smoke Signals; and documentaries such as Healing the Hurts and Spirit combined with interviews with Native people, Coloring the Media takes us on a journey and asks how the past can affect the present and shape the future for Native Americans and also for people of color. As Black and Asian people living in Britain speak about their experiences and the struggles they face today, we see how the language of film set into motion in the early 20th century still plays an important part in the portrayal of people of colour. Coloring the Media offers a refreshing investigative insight into the past and present. For future generations it offers a solution of change through the voices of people, and asks one important question: 'What is it going to take to make this change happen, now, today?'  

Synopsis

A thriller/romance set in modern Bangkok about a love that transcends death. A young couple reawakens the spirit of the famous old Thai legend of 'Mae Nak Phrakanong'.

Synopsis

A twelve-year old Pakistani Muslim boy mistakenly crosses the minefield strewn border into India and finds an unusual ally - Bhola, a Hindu school teacher who must find a way of hiding him from Indian soldiers looking for the 'terrorist' who crossed over.

Synopsis

Love and Hate is set in the North of England in a town where racial tension has reached boiling point. Adam has grown up indoctrinated by his mother's and brother's bigoted views. Naseema is from a Muslim family and whilst her father is a liberal who has embraced the West, her brother Yousef fights violence with violence. He believes Naseema should behave like a good Muslim girl but she wants more out of life than an arranged marriage. When Naseema and Adam meet through work, the mutual attraction is undeniable. Soon Naseema's vivacity and beauty confound Adam's preconceptions and he finds himself unable to condone the views of his family. The young couple embark on a passionate journey of self-discovery. But in order to find happiness together, they must somehow overcome the deep prejudices that surround them.

Synopsis

Anita Singh, a young Asian Londoner, meets an enigmatic stranger at the supermarket who convinces her that he is schooled in the ways of Eastern mysticism. She is amazed when he demonstrates that he can levitate. But is this urban swami really the answer to Anita's prayers?

Synopsis

First kiss. A moment repressed? The story is about a woman named Sim in her mid-twenties. Sim is happy with her life and has a good relationship with her girlfriend. Then, out of the blue she gets an unexpected call from her childhood love, Maya, who is now married.

Synopsis

Reality mixes with fantasy in a short film about a young Asian male called Ali. Lonely and isolated, he struggles to integrate into a Western culture while holding down a security job at night. Ali imagines escaping from his mundane life through a fanatsy girlfriend.