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