Projects in genres: Asian

Synopsis

It is in 1947. India has been given its independence from British rule. The state of Pakistan, the first state to be created as a homeland for Muslims has been painfully born. Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan realizes this great ambition and a year later succumbs to the illness through which he has willed himself to live. He is rushed to the hospital and when the ambulance stalls on the highway his life begins to ebb. In is coma Jinnah relives the dilemmas and triumphs of his life, the drama of his ideals, his romance, his happiness and the tragedy of the death of his wife.


Jinnah tells the dramatic story of the partition of India, the final intrigue and arguments between the Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, Jinnah, Gandhi and Nehru and the mercurial Lady Mountbatten. It takes the handsome young idealist Jinnah on the journey through which his dream of freeing the people of India from the burden and the insult of foreign rule is twisted and tempered by the realities and cruelties of politics. It is the story of a practical visionary who knew that on his word hung the future of a nation, who knew also that such a birth meant a division of a country and of his family, because his only daughter had married an Indian and would remain in India.

Synopsis

The story is set in London in the present day. A young Chinese girl (Lili) runs away from an arranged marriage in Hong Kong and comes to London in search of rock-idol Bobby Gillespie.


She finds his flat but he's recently moved. An Indian commercials director (Jamal) answers the door and seeing the lost look on Lili's face, invites her up for coffee. He takes a liking to Lili, casting her in a tampon commercial and adopts her as his muse - until his Muslim family finds out.


Drawn in by the music and fashion of London's Asian subculture but with no experience of living abroad, Lili stumbles from one cultural faux pas to another until a young, inexperienced Japanese detective living in London (Go) is assigned by her father to track her down.


Her short attention-span and inability to stick to one style or boyfriend for more than ten minutes leave him weaving in and out of London's East End searching for clues.


The longer he looks for her, the more he falls under her spell until finally, he must choose between turning her in and keeping his business or falling in love.


Ravi, the middle-aged owner of a popular Muslim tea-shop in the area, becomes a central figure in bringing the lost souls together in this deadpan detective comedy celebrating the youthful energy of multi-cultural London.

Synopsis

We've Lived Here All Our Lives is a three minute film taking a quick look at Indians living in the UK. The film brings up issue that most Indians (Hindus) in the UK turn a blind eye to. It is a very bitter yet funny three-minute rant with visuals.

Synopsis

This is a short film about love at first sight. It happens in the time when love transforms the world from physical to metaphysical; when people, things and places become different. Wildlife combines dramatic action with dance on a journey into dream territory, mixing Celtic mythology, Shanghai pop and modern mysticism.

Synopsis

Set in Salford in 1970, East is East is a fast moving comedy of mixed-race manners. It centres on the Anglo-Pakistani alliance of the Khan family that is both claustrophobically cohesive and desperately dysfunctional. In their cramped Salford terrace house, daily anarchy erupts with farcical energy. The Khan children, being caught between bell-bottoms and arranged marriages, scoff surreptitious rashers of bacon as they are buffeted this way and that by their father's insistence on tradition, their English mother's laissez-faire, and their own wish to be citizens of the modern world.


Based on the award-winning stage play by Ayub Khan-Din, East is East was originally produced by the Royal Court Theatre, revived due to critical acclaim at the Theatre Royal in Stratford East 1997.

Synopsis

Sanjay's an artist. He's been with his girlfriend Jill for five years. When they met it was magic. Life was gonna be a party. Now the big 3-0's looming and their relationship is sliding downhill fast. Jill wants marriage and kids. No way. Sanjay's still trying to find that elusive break. Then there's his family. He's Indian and she's black. Bad news.


Jill gives him an ultimatum: "Marry me or I'm gone." He calls her bluff and she sets off to LA for a week of sun, sea and sand. Does he give a damn? Forget it! She needs him more than . . .


Sanjay calls up an ex-girlfriend and they 'do the business'. Next day he scores again! Is God trying to tell him something? His mates love it: "Two in two days!" Now, if he can only score with five more women and make it seven in seven days he'd be a definite Guru. In fact he'd be the Guru - "the one and only." For five years Sanjay's been faithful to Jill but . . . hang on - she dumped him.


The would-be Guru launches himself into the land of muff . . . "dive, dive, dive". The days go by in a haze of sex and drugs and . . . bhangra! As the scores are notched up the old longing for Jill returns. Sanjay tries to put on the brakes but there's major money on his "seven in seven". If he backs out now, the local 'godfather' - Ram - will do him some serious damage. Ouch!


Sanjay's make or break exhibition looms. Jill's return from LA is imminent. What's the Guru gonna do?

Synopsis

" . . . and Brooklyn ain't in London!" Somewhere in deepest West London, we find a group of British-Indian boys leaving school on a typical Friday afternoon. Parading through the crowds of the High Street, their Hip-hop influenced street-style fashion, language and attitude are in full display.

Synopsis

Anwar has a guilty secret; Rubi wants to die. Rubi chose Anwar to help her die, but can he find the strength to do so?

Synopsis

Shopkeeping is about an Indian shopkeeper who discovers an illicit love affair which threatens his shop. He does something about the love affair, but then regrets his desperate actions, and tries to make amends.

Synopsis

After the British left India, Anglo-Indians fell from grace. And Morris Jelly dropped like a stone. He hit the filthy streets of Calcutta in all their hallucinogenic splendour and life became a dream. Even in death his mercurial spirit runs rings around his friends.

Synopsis

Blue Funnel, a contemporary drama set in the Chinese community in Liverpool, follows Daniel as he tries to send his father's ashes back to his ancestral village.


Daniel's father left Hong Kong aged 14 and spent his life as a seaman coming in and out of the Liverpool docks where he married an English girl. The ashes need to return 'home' for his spirit to rest... but Daniel realises he's not sure where 'home' is.

Synopsis

Dance of the Lion is a film about a Lion Dance Troupe in Bristol. Several overseas students, from ex-British colonies, have decided to share a part of their culture with the people in the UK. We see how colours, festivals and rituals are introduced to the people of Bristol and the dance that captivates its audience.