THE WAR WITHIN - 2005 (Synopsis)
I haven’t really focused on posting previews of upcoming shows, but sometimes I catch wind of something that sounds worth mentioning.
This is one of those films that sounds like an interesting idea, and it’s one that I’ll be checking out as soon as I get the opportunity. Magnolia Pictures and HDNet Films have a number of interesting pictures between them; Enron, Capturing the Friedmans, Control Room, and the just released on DVD Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior.
Written and directed by first time filmmaker Joseph Castelo, The War Within is the story of Hassan, (Ayad Akhtar in his debut performance), a Pakistani engineering student in Paris who is mistakenly apprehended for terrorist activities and forcibly interrogated by Western intelligence services. So shaken by the experience, he vows revenge and joins a terrorist cell based in New York City with plans to begin the ground war against the West in the United States.
On the morning the attack is due to take place, all members of the cell are arrested except Hassan and one other member. With no alternative and nowhere else to turn, Hassan must rely on the hospitality of his former best friend Sayeed, who is living the American dream with his family in New Jersey. Lying to his friend about why he is in the US, Sayeed gets Hassan a job driving a livery cab which furnishes Hassan with the money he needs to start manufacturing explosives in the hope of achieving a smaller but still effective act of terror.
With each day that passes, we witness Hassan’s religious beliefs as they clash headlong with his feelings for Sayeed’s sister Duri, Sayeed, and the rest of the family.
About the only thing that I’m concerned about is that this is the sort of film that could backfire, acting to reinforce fears in America that every dark skinned man in the country is hoarding explosive devices in their home.
I just wanted to thank you for your interest in my film, The War Within. Your comment about the film back firing was a considerate one and I just wanted to offer some reassurance. We felt that for the very same reasons you suggested that we should screen the film for the Arab American Anti Discrimination league in Washington D.C. They really loved the film and have endorsed it. They felt that the film was so balanced that it really examined the complexity of the issue with sensitivity to the muslim culture in a way that other films and television programs have not. Thanks again for your interest and I look forward to your review!
Comment by joseph Castelo — 9/19/2005 @ 11:58 pm