Aspen ShortFest 2019 – Alien Culture
West London, 1979. Racial tensions are running high. Lucky thinks his younger brother is in trouble, but the truth is far from what he expected.
Interview with Writer/Director Iesh Thapar
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The world, the characters, and the themes for Alien Culture were born from a feature film that I'm developing entitled Alien Kulture - Kulture with a K as opposed to a C - it's loosely inspired by the first real UK Asian punk band of the same name. I was looking to do another short film, and my producer suggested that I have a crack at writing a proof of concept. The main dramatic and central relationship in the feature film centers around two brothers, almost a generation apart. Sunny, the younger brother, is very much the main protagonist in the feature film, and it's about how he manages to pull away from traditional codes to claim his British Asian identity through punk music. In the short, however, I wanted to explore that relationship from the older brother's perspective and so I decided to write a stand-alone piece that dug deeper into his character.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Foremost, I hope people enjoy watching the movie. The story takes place in a period of English history that is steeped with complex incident and provocation. That Britain seems so different to the one I grew up in, yet, unfortunately, it seems that the themes in the film are relevant to what’s happening in the world today with the advent of extreme right-wing groups, and the formation of dangerous perceptions. I think there’s hope in finding inclusivity in the unlikeliest of places, and this pertains to the film’s subtle message about the power of co-existence.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
As 1.5 and 2nd generation British Asian kids growing up in London it's hard to sometimes know where you fit in. On a broad level, Alien Culture is a late coming-of-age type movie that explores themes about claiming one's identity and coming to an understanding about race and all its complexities.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When I wrote the feature (Alien Kulture) I was inspired to write a story that dealt with a character who is caught between subcultures - a traditional South Asian lifestyle on one side, and a liberal punk rock universe of like-minded peers on the other. However, with the short, I was fascinated to tell the story from a different perspective - from the perspective of someone who had steely expectations about how members of their society should and should not behave. Growing up, I didn't face the same challenges that someone of my father's generation faced, and I often wondered how that must have looked like. Norm is a guideline or an expectation for behavior, and I was quite excited to tell a story that dealt with what happens when those 'rules' for behavior are challenged, subverted, violated - and what one would eventually do about it or learn as result of discovering that there are new norms. As the script developed, I realized that for Lucky, the older brother, he has to learn that he doesn't quite have his finger on the pulse like he thought, and he needs to change.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been very positive, especially from the British Asian community. I think it reminds some people of a time that is often ignored or not talked about in film and TV. I'm really looking forward to hearing more as the film plays at other festivals.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I think trying to capture the period with very little resources was the most challenging part of making the film. 1979 West London isn't an easy thing to recreate and we had to be really careful about what we could and couldn't show. I'm always surprised and satisfied when people who lived in the late 70s tell me that they enjoyed how accurate it felt and looked.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope having exposure on We Are Moving Stories will help the film's profile and lead to more screening opportunities. In addition, having the chance to promote the feature film and other work, I hope I get to make the next film or TV project sooner rather than later.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I'd appreciate support from all of the above... anything to get the film out there and seen as much as possible :)
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
It's quite a dramatic, aggressive, and strained film, so it might not be everyone's cup of tea. However, I want audiences to come away feeling surprised and hopeful. I also think audiences should be reminded of London’s degree of multicultural unity and cohesion. Breaking down barriers between communities is important to me, and the story offers a microcosmic view of that larger picture.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
The film tries to subvert the stereotypes of the day, and I hope that talking about how damaging it is to hold insular beliefs will encourage us all to change and be more accepting of one another.
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for the opportunity to share the work!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm developing and revising Alien Kulture (the feature), and adapting a book (The Marble Orchard) into a TV mini-series. I'm also doing some directing work on a couple of cool video games at Pinewood Studios. Our producer, Sarah Seulki Oh, is developing feature films in the US and Turkey along with Alien Kulture in the UK.
Interview: April 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
Alien Culture
West London, 1979. Racial tensions are running high. Lucky thinks his younger brother is in trouble, but the truth is far from what he expected.
Length: 16:08
Director: Iesh Thapar
Producer: Sarah Seulki Oh
Writer: Iesh Thapar
About the writer, director and producer:
IESH THAPAR is a British Writer/Director. His films have been supported by Film London & The BFI Network, The Sundance Institute, Film Independent, ESPN, The Tribeca Film Institute, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Iesh is a BAFTA Newcomer, a two-time recipient of the prestigious BAFTA LA Scholarship, an awardee of the John Brabourne Award, and the winner of the 2017 Ezra Litwak Award for distinction in screenwriting. This year he was named 1 of 25 UK 'Lodestars' rising stars of cinema. He is a graduate of the MFA Film program at Columbia University, School of the Arts, New York City.
SARAH SEULKI OH is independent producer with experience in developing and producing narrative and documentary films in Amsterdam, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Turkey, U.K., and the U.S. Sarah’s films have showcased at BFI London Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Palm Springs International ShortFest, and Raindance Film Festival, and her work has been supported by Sundance Film Institute, Biennale Cinema College, Tribeca Film Institute, Film London, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, ESPN and HBO. Her first feature film Porno, directed by Student Academy winner for best live action short, recently had its premiere at SXSW Film Festival and received applause from The New York Times, Hollywood Reporter, and IndieWire to name a few. Sarah is a graduate of the Creative Producing MFA program at Columbia University, New York where she was awarded the 2015 Entertainment Partners Best Producer Award and now teaches a course on Producing the Low Budget Film. This year, she is a Sundance Creative Producing Fellow and BAFTA LA Newcomer.
Key cast: Sagar Radia, Reiss Kershi
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, film festival directors, journalists, buyers, producers
Facebook: Iesh Thapar
Twitter: @ieshthapar
Instagram: @iesh84
Hashtags used: #alienculturemovie @alienculturemovie
Website: ohpictureco.wixsite.com
Made in association with: Oh Picture Co, Film London and The BFI
Funders: Film London and The BFI