Parable Scene
Pictured above: Salwa Khan as Dunyazad
Welcome to the Official Vilified blog! I'll try to keep this space frequently updated to inform everyone where we are in the production process!
I thought it would be appropriate to start off our first blog post with the scene we are currently filming! What makes this particular scene (the "parable scene") unique is that it's a story that takes place within the main film. Although the film takes place during the 21st century, the parable scene takes us back in time, during British colonial rule in India.
Without giving too much away, one of the protagonists in the film tells an important story that touches upon the themes of spirituality, social justice, and self-determination. Rather than letting the camera remain on the actor telling the story, we decided it would be more powerful to show it. The scene itself is inspired by Sufi parables that stem from classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and South Asian literature and oral traditions.
I've been fortunate enough to work with amazing and talented actors/actresses throughout the production of this film, and this scene is no exception. Salwa Khan plays Dunyazad (pictured above, left), the central character in the parable, and M.K. Sharazi plays a spiritual teacher named Baba Shafiq (pictured above, right).
What's also exciting about this scene is that it is shot entirely in Urdu/Hindi! The scene will be subtitled in English of course (since the rest of the film is in English). Visually, I wanted to create something similar to Nacer Khemir's Bab'Aziz and Tarsem Singh's The Fall. The original Sufi parable that this scene is based on had a very strong spiritual message, but also a political one. What distinguishes our scene from the original story is that it includes elements that emphasize an anti-oppression message that ties in with the larger film.
Also featured in the scene are the talents of Jack Voss as Rowland (pictured above, left) and Arsalan Ahmed as Zohaib (pictured above, right). The majority of Voss' lines were spoken in English, but yes, he does speak Urdu/Hindi, as many of the British soldiers did during colonial rule. Theresa Moran provided her awesome make-up talents for the actors/actresses and also recorded sound. We're aiming to wrap this scene up soon, especially before the cold weather starts taking over!
Check out the gallery below for more screenshots and behind-the-scenes photos!
