Flickerfest 2019 - Khana Khazana
A migrant worker discovers the dark side of migrant labour as his boss begins to control his destiny.
Interview with Director Arka Das
Watch Khana Khazana here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! I was initially developing Khana Khazana as a feature film concept but as I thought about it more I realised there was a really strong intimate story in there. I wanted to tell a deeper personal story whilst shedding some light on broader issues surrounding migrant labour.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It’s hopefully engaging, unique and thought provoking and also entertaining!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
They are kind of layered within the film I guess. The film deals with themes that are universal and I personally hoped to reflect my own feelings about the issues through the visual style and characters.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script went through lots of drafts because I had to get it as lean as possible, as trying to tell an in-depth story so quickly was tough. The film also went through a similar kind of process in the edit, but the music and sound design in the later stages really helped round it off.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We had our US premiere at LA Shorts International Film Festival and have also played in Toronto at IFFSA but Flickerfest is the Australian Premiere so we are really stoked to have a home audience see it!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I think I have been a little surprised at how many people have told me it was very ‘relatable’ which I guess translates to how common the themes really are.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Hopefully more people get a chance to hear about it and go see the film or track its journey.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I guess producers who might be interested in a longer version of the story and film festival people who might want to program it would be great too!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Watching a film can be a personal and often internalised experience so as long as people watch it and feel effected in any type of way after I think I would be content.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Maybe an interesting one would be to ask how they felt about the main antagonist in the film.
Would you like to add anything else?
Just want to say thank you for this interview and the opportunity to spotlight the film as its usually tough to gain exposure for independent short films.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently working as one of the writers on an anthology feature film centred around Western Sydney.
Interview: January 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Khana Khazana
A migrant worker discovers the dark side of migrant labour as his boss begins to control his destiny.
Length: 15 min
Director: Arka Das
Producer: Nicholas Mutton
Writer: Arka Das
About the writer, director and producer:
ARKA DAS is an actor/filmmaker from Sydney who has starred in various TV shows and feature films and as a filmmaker, has a keen interest in telling stories about the immigrant experience.
Key cast: Pranam Janney, Waseem Khan, Nicholas Brown, Tania Starr
Looking for: Producers, Film Festival Directors, Journalists
Facebook: Khana Khazana film
Twitter: @thearkadas
Instagram: @arkadas_ AND @khanakhazanafilm_
Funders: self funded/crowd funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Flickerfest Australian Premiere Wednesday 16th January for now but you can follow us on social media to keep track of where it plays next!