Project Detail

East is East

Jaap Buitendijk

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.

Details

Year: 1999
Type of project: Features
Format: 35mm
Director: Damien O'Donnell 1st Feature
Producer: Leslee Udwin
Director of Photography: Brian Tufano BSC
Principal cast: Om Puri, Linda Bassett
Screen Writer: Ayub Khan-Din

Genre

Literary Adaptation Asian Comedy Drama

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Assassin Films Ltd 74 Holland Park London W11 3SL Tel/Fax: 020 7243 8028

Sales Company

Film Four International 124 Horseferry Road London SW1P 2TX Tel: 020 7306 8602 Fax: 020 7306 8361 Email: sbrucesmith@channel4.co.uk astreet@channel4.co.uk

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