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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline DECEMBER 27, 2024 | The Indian Eye 17

“The Collaborator” Walks a

Middle Path in Conflict Zones at

Dances with Films NY 2024 Premiere

Inspired by a True Story, the Film offers a Fascinating Glimpse of Living

and Surviving in a historic Conflict Zone

OUR BUREAU
New York, NY
he Collaborator,” directed by
first-time feature filmmaker
TTravis Hodgkins is adapted
from Mirza Waheed’s New York
Times bestseller and is produced by
talented women breakout power-
houses, Rashaana Shah and Cristy
Coors Beasley. The film made its
Dances with Films NY 2024 premiere
as the featured selection on Decem-
ber 6 at 7:30 pm ET at Regal Union
Square NY.
On the occasion, Director Tra-
vis Hodgkins said, “After reading the
novel, which profoundly affected me,
I found it very moving. I agreed to A still from the movie “The Collaborator”
write the script.” He added further,
“We wanted to be incredibly sensitive
to the issues and politics of {Kash- EastEnders), Vikram Kapadia (The the middle path like in Buddhism, I glish featuring Kashmir, produces a
mir}. We, also wanted to be true and Night Manager) and Meera Ganatra have learnt. I wanted to show both compelling tale of the lead character,
honest to Mirza Waheed’s novel. A (Blinded by the Light). The film crew sides of the war are wrong, there is “Boy,” who lives in the last village be-
difficult balancing act and I think we comprised of predominately women, no right side to it.” fore the border on the Indian side of
have been able to pull it off.” tells a story that raised awareness “The Collaborator,” which made the Line of Control. As young men
Set in the 1990s, the drama is a of the region’s longstanding tension its North American premiere at the vanish from villages across Kashmir,
coming-of-age story about a “Boy” while promoting themes of peace 2024 San Diego International Film the Indian army occupies the villag-
growing up during the height of the and tolerance. The theme is univer- Festival, was hailed by Ben Andrews, es, suspecting the young men are go-
border war separating Indian Kash- sal and applicable today to several Founder of the Seattle Film Summit ing to Pakistan to become “freedom
mir from Pakistani Kashmir. “The regions across the globe especially as “beautiful and tragic all tied into fighters.” The “Boy” encounters the
Collaborator” stars Rudi Dharma- at present in the Mideast. This In- one. The group that told this story captain of the local army unit who
lingam (Great Expectations, The do-US-Georgia co-production tells a deserves praise and celebration over coerces him to perform a grim task,
Lazarus Project) and newcomer story about loss of dreams, hope and what must have been a very difficult to go into the picturesque valley
Nikhil Singh Rai, who won the role love for families that live in war zones. lift.” The feature was an official se- where he used to play with his friends
of the Boy after a two-year search. Rashaana Shah, the Producer of lection of the 2024 Antioch Film and collect ID cards and weapons
The Casting Director, Avani “The Collaborator” emphasized, “I Festival (Turkey), and the upcoming from the dead. Each day he is rele-
Parikh Dhar elaborated, “Most of wanted to make a film which is not 2025 Nepal Cultural International gated to, helping may be one of his
our actors for this film were from taking sides. I did not want an Indi- Film Festival. It continues to be the missing friends among the dead. But
UK and one from Germany. The an or a Pakistani Director. I did not absolute darling of diverse, global redemption ensues and the touching
mandate given to me was to find the want a Hindu or Muslim Director be- festivals from the middle east to the film just has to be watched for an ex-
best actors for the role and we were cause, I don’t think war or conflicts Asia Pacific and North America. perience none of us could ever imag-
planning to shoot the film in Europe. should be tweaked and used and Wayne Sharpe, the music com- ine yet understand the human toil,
With a long history of South Asian abused for religious or political pur- poser highlighted, “We wanted to determination and enduring fight to
Actors, UK was a perfect choice.” poses. I wanted to make a film about have an organic sound, kind of hy- survive.
She added further, “Nikhil Singh what happens to families who live in brid of instrumentation from Kash- Dances with Films (DWF:LA)
Rai, who plays the boy, makes his de- those conflict zones for years, for de- mir area from India and Pakistan. was formed in 1998 by a group of
but in the film.” cades.” Shah outlined the objective Very subtle, that is what the Director filmmakers who envisioned a festival
The cast also includes nota- of the movie, “Everybody is a victim Travis wanted.” where “who you know” didn’t mat-
ble actors Nitin Ganatra (Accused, of circumstances. We wanted to walk A first of its kind movie in En- ter, only the quality of the work.

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