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Imagine
having an idea for a big film script and someone saying to you,
"here, have some money - go make your film and we’ll get some
professionals to help you do it - oh, and for good measure - we’ll
organise some glittery big style premieres for it too".
Hollywood
fiction? No, Handsworth fact.
The
film is called ‘Obsession’. It’s about 12 minutes long. It’s been
made by pupils from King Edward VI Girls School in Handsworth and
King Edward VI Boys School in Aston with the help of First Light
Films and SAMPAD. And it’s good.
And you can see it here on this webpage. Eat your heart out Guy
Ritchie.
The
plot
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| Will Krish get to
meet the beautiful Sameera? |
Meet
Krish, a 15 year old boy obsessed with the Bollywood superstar Sameera.
Will his spectacular performance at the Big Big Talent Show win
him tickets to see his heroine? Can he fight his way through the
high school bad boys? Will Krish’s mother get her act together and
beat her drug addiction?
This
film is the culmination of a SAMPAD education project "Bollywood
to Birmingham" which began in October 2002.
A
six month production
Students
from both schools worked with a scriptwriter to create a script
as the first stage of making their own Bollywood style movie. After
months of drama rehearsals, music workshops and dance sessions with
a professional team of artists, ‘Obsession’ was shot in February
by a professional film crew working with the young people to develop
their technical skills.
SAMPAD’s
Harpreet Kaur said, "The project has been extremely beneficial and
rewarding to the young people involved as well as the artists and
SAMPAD staff. New friendships have been formed and artistic interests
realised."
Pupils
were hands-on with it all
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| Pupils were involved
in all aspects of the production. |
The
project’s aim was to create a short Bollywood style film, involving
students in every aspect of the film making process – to include
scriptwriting, casting, acting, dancing, music production, choreography,
directing, designing, filming, editing, marketing of the premier
showing of the film.
To
also introduce positive role models from the South Asian arts sector
to Asian and non-Asian pupils.
Apart
from being fanstastic fun, (and being filmed by the BBC), the film
project has helped develop school pupils' and teachers' understanding
of the South Asian arts and film culture and the chance to set up
a South Asian film club/forum.
Ladies and gentlemen....
Now
the film is finished, the next step is to show it, and what better
place to start than with a glittering premiere at a proper city
cinema - the UGC in Broad Street. Not bad for starters.
As
well as public screenings, there will be a seminar involving participants,
artists, SAMPAD and other arts organisations.
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| You could make movies
too. |
If
you are an organisation working with young people, you could apply
for a grant from First Light to make a film. You need to have a
good idea and to meet certain criteria.
Find
out more
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