Ground Zero, Review: Found Hero

Kashmir. The paradise on earth. The powder keg. The subject of a dozen films made in the last few years. Terror attacks launched by Pakistani infiltrators, or locals recruited by handlers, and Indian armed personnel targetted. Sometimes, civilians are among the casualties. Sometimes only civilians are killed. India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and the local police retaliate. Perpetrators are often found and eliminated. Their ‘handlers’ are seldom caught. More attacks follow.

Kashmir has become a land where uniformed Indian forces are present everywhere, causing fear among the locals, the overwhelming majority of whom condemn the terrorist attacks. Children are escorted to school in buses with an armed guard on board, carrying a Kalashnikov. When they name their film Ground Zero, the makers are referring to Kashmir. The term Ground Zero primarily refers to the point on the earth's surface where a nuclear explosion occurs, or the site of the World Trade Center in New York City, after the September 11 attacks. It can also be used metaphorically, to describe the very beginning of a process or activity. So it is a metaphor here. It is not a term everybody understands, and that itself might keep some audiences away. For the benefit of those who are planning to see the film, here is a review, a review that laments the film as a Paradise Lost.

A bio-pic about N.N.D. Dubey, Second in Command, of the BSF, the film concentrates only on his posting in Kashmir and his efforts to win the hearts of the locals led astray, simultaneously tracing the handlers and masterminds. It has a James Bond style beginning, with the Dubey carrying out an operation in one part of Kashmir, while terror strikes in the area of his base station. He is sent for, “I want my best man back.” So, after finishing the operation, Dubey returns to his base. A BSF soldier has been killed by a pistol gang, in a bustling bazaar, and the authorities fear more such attacks. As feared, more attacks take place. Dubey acts as bait and wanders around, presenting himself as an easy target. Sure enough, he suddenly finds a young man, Hussain, behind him, pointing his pistol at his head. He overpowers the lad, and takes him in for interrogation.

Dubey realises that Hussain is reluctant recruit, and makes him turned informer. Visiting his home, he sees that his family lives in poverty, and agreed to carry out the killing in return of Rs. 5,000. His handler told him that, in case he died during the attempt, his family would get Rs. 50,000. He also notices that most of the attacks occur between 4 and 5 pm, Monday to Friday. He concludes that students of three colleges that function Monday to Friday, closing at 3 pm, might be the recruitment ground, and some of these students might be carrying out the attacks after college hours. Dubey doubles the BSF presence at each of these colleges. Meanwhile, Hussain leads him to a doctor, called HakeemSaahab, who treats the attackers, should they suffer injuries during their escape. They, for obvious reasons, cannot go to public or private hospitals. As instructed, he plants a transmitter in the doctor’s medicine box, which is monitored by Dubey and his colleagues, who believe that sooner or later, the transmissions would lead them to the terror master-mind, Ghazi Baba.

Based on Operation Ghazi Baba (Official records? A book?) and written by Sanchit Gupta and Priyadarshee Srivastava, the film focusses on the elimination of Ghazi Baba, real name Rana Tahir Nadeem, who was a terrorist belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the militant group Harkat-ul-Ansar. He was known to have masterminded the 2001 Indian Parliament attack on 13 December 2001. Ghazi was also involved in two car blasts at the Army head

Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid was tipped as a last minute entry for the Palme d’Or competition but that didn’t pan out and Directors’ Fortnight selection committee were all to happy to make room for “Yes” – the filmmaker’s fifth feature film.

“Our lineup reflects our two main focuses this year: international and independent voices”; 73% of the Festival’s 245 films are currently without US distribution and feature titles from 74 countries/regions around the globe communicating in 63 different languages 

SIFF announced today the lineup of films screening at the 51st Seattle International Film Festival, to be held May 15-25 at venues across the Seattle area and followed by a week of select encore screenings on the SIFF Channel May 26-June 1. This year, the Festival will screen 245 films from 74 countries/regions around the globe communicating in 63 different languages including 83 features, 122 short films in 14 different programs, 35 documentaries, three archival features, and two secret films.

“At a time when the cultural cornerstones of discovery and diversity that make art so important are being threatened, SIFF is doubling down on bringing those stories to the screen,” says SIFF Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “Our lineup reflects our two main focuses this year: international and independent voices. A large majority of these films are currently without distribution, and may not return to theatres. Discovery and connection are at the very core of who we are, and we hope these 10 days are an escape into new worlds and bold, audacious artistic visions. With more than 60% of films coming from new voices, you might meet your next favorite filmmaker.”

The Festival slate includes 19 world premieres, 27 North American premieres, and 13 US premieres. Nearly 51% of our filmmakers are female or nonbinary-identifying, 37% identify as a BIPOC director, and 20% identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. 60% of the feature films are from first- or second-time filmmakers, and 73% of films don’t currently have US distribution and may not screen commercially in the United States.

The Festival will open with Darren Thornton’s heartwarming Irish intergenerational comedy Four Mothers, starring James McArdle and Fionnula Flanagan. The film, which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, will screen at 7:00pm at The Paramount Theatre with Thornton in attendance and be followed by the Opening Night afterparty in the theater and outdoors on Ninth Avenue. 

Closing Night will feature Eva Victor’s Barry Jenkins produced seriocomic drama Sorry, Baby from A24. The film will screen at 6:00pm at SIFF Cinema Downtown, followed by an audience Q&A with writer/director Eva Victor. After the film and Q&A, a Closing Night Party will be held at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) to celebrate the culmination of the Festival.

Additional highlights of the Festival include new restorations of The Glass Web in 3-D and Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers at SIFF Cinema Downtown; the Festival fan favorite Secret Fest, ​​which includes two confidential and unannounced screenings that require each viewer to sign an NDA prior to attending; and the 10th anniversary 4th World Media Lab, a year-long fellowship for emerging and mid-career Indigenous filmmakers.

The Festival will be a hybrid experience, with in-person screenings of all films at venues across the Seattle area, including SIFF Cinema Uptown, SIFF Film Center, SIFF Cinema Downtown, AMC Pacific Place 11, The Paramount Theatre, and Shoreline Community College Theater. The Festival will be followed by a week of select films streaming on the SIFF Channel from May 26-June 1.

A variety of film and event passes and ticket packs are on sale now. Tickets for individual screenings go on sale to SIFF members on April 23 and to the general public on Ap

Big Bad Idea’s Outsiders Film Festival gets big, good audience

Had it been a regular theatre, they would have put up a sign saying House Full. But Veda Black Box in Aram Nagar II, Versova, is not a cinema, and is designed for more intimate gatherings, like plays and workshops, so no such sign greeted me when I arrived at the venue of the Outsiders’ one-day film festival, some 2 hours after it had started. That happened because I had another appointment in the morning/forenoon, and Aram Nagar is about 90 minutes away from my house, by public transport. There was a sizeable crowd sitting outside and enjoying beverages and snacks. I presumed that event had got delayed, as such events often are. Just then I met someone who told me that screening was on inside. So, why was there such a big crowd sitting in the canteen? I would soon find out.

Inside, they were showing a film made by a Tamil origin woman, Marie Sushila, and starring distinctly dark-skinned Tamilians. It was all about how modern dance helped the women on screen unwind and discover themselves. I was lucky enough to find a seat in the first row, because, hear, hear…the small auditorium was House Full. The film was in French, which I understand, though also had English sub-titles. After the screening, Marie interacted with the audience in French and I put her a question in mon Francais. She revealed that she and the other Tamil girls on screen had never visited India, where their parents came from, and all spoke fluent French, besides some English. The director spoke good English.

A break followed, during which I discovered that crowd outside was there because either they were hungry and thirsty, or because there was no room inside (a few viewers found standing room only) or because the air-conditioning was playing truant, on one of the hottest days this year. The open-air sitting area was equally hot, but under the fans, one could find some respite. I met Tarun Agarwal, the Director of the festival, who welcomed me, and the ZIP Code 47 duo, Param Kalra and Chandni Somaya, whose film was to be screened later. A skeletal staff manned the canteen and took ages to make tea and coffee, or to serve you what you wanted. There was not much to choose from: sandwiches and Maggi noodles were the mainstay. Free electrolyte drinks were on offer, which was just what the doctor ordered, to combat the loss of body fluids. But the much-needed cup of tea was still brewing, when we went in to watch the next film.

This one was about history and put forth the view that a big, bad Arya, of yore, had created a divisive society and high income disparity in India. Overtly political, it was made using a lot of Artificial Intelligence. After the film, one member of the audience expressed his anger at the choice of the film, showing clearly where his sympathies lay. He demanded to know the names of the makers, since they were not credited on screen, and was furious at the selection of such a ‘propaganda’ film. Since most attendees believed in the freedom of expression, the irate man had to calm down and let the proceedings continue. There was a break again, and this time around, I fought tooth and nail to buy myself a snack and tea, only to discover later, when Tarun told me, that it was on the house. In this period, I made the acquaintance of Dr. Manjula Jagatramka, a Ph. D. in clothing and textiles, and her paying guest, Homeopathic doctor Megha Kamala Joshi, both extremely friendly and cordial persons. Voice artiste, actor and conductor of workshops, Vishnu Sharma, who had lent his voice to many a programme produced by my Guru and mentor, Ameen Sayani, joined us, and we shared anecdotes

Big Bad Idea’s Outsiders Film Festival gets big, good audience

Had it been a regular theatre, they would have put up a sign saying House Full. But Veda Black Box in Aram Nagar II, Versova, is not a cinema, and is designed for more intimate gatherings, like plays and workshops, so no such sign greeted me when I arrived at the venue of the Outsiders’ one-day film festival, some 2 hours after it had started. That happened because I had another appointment in the morning/forenoon, and Aram Nagar is about 90 minutes away from my house, by public transport. There was a sizeable crowd sitting outside and enjoying beverages and snacks. I presumed that event had got delayed, as such events often are. Just then I met someone who told me that screening was on inside. So, why was there such a big crowd sitting in the canteen? I would soon find out.

Inside, they were showing a film made by a Tamil origin woman, Marie Sushila, and starring distinctly dark-skinned Tamilians. It was all about how modern dance helped the women on screen unwind and discover themselves. I was lucky enough to find a seat in the first row, because, hear, hear…the small auditorium was House Full. The film was in French, which I understand, though also had English sub-titles. After the screening, Marie interacted with the audience in French and I put her a question in mon Francais. She revealed that she and the other Tamil girls on screen had never visited India, where their parents came from, and all spoke fluent French, besides some English. The director spoke good English.

A break followed, during which I discovered that crowd outside was there because either they were hungry and thirsty, or because there was no room inside (a few viewers found standing room only) or because the air-conditioning was playing truant, on one of the hottest days this year. The open-air sitting area was equally hot, but under the fans, one could find some respite. I met Tarun Agarwal, the Director of the festival, who welcomed me, and the ZIP Code 47 duo, Param Kalra and Chandni Somaya, whose film was to be screened later. A skeletal staff manned the canteen and took ages to make tea and coffee, or to serve you what you wanted. There was not much to choose from: sandwiches and Maggi noodles were the mainstay. Free electrolyte drinks were on offer, which was just what the doctor ordered, to combat the loss of body fluids. But the much-needed cup of tea was still brewing, when we went in to watch the next film.

This one was about history and put forth the view that a big, bad Arya, of yore, had created a divisive society and high income disparity in India. Overtly political, it was made using a lot of Artificial Intelligence. After the film, one member of the audience expressed his anger at the choice of the film, showing clearly where his sympathies lay. He demanded to know the names of the makers, since they were not credited on screen, and was furious at the selection of such a ‘propaganda’ film. Since most attendees believed in the freedom of expression, the irate man had to calm down and let the proceedings continue. There was a break again, and this time around, I fought tooth and nail to buy myself a snack and tea, only to discover later, when Tarun told me, that it was on the house. In this period, I made the acquaintance of Dr. Manjula Jagatramka, a Ph. D. in clothing and textiles, and her paying guest, Homeopathic doctor Megha Kamala Joshi, both extremely friendly and cordial persons. Voice artiste, actor and conductor of workshops, Vishnu Sharma, who had lent his voice to many a programme produced by my Guru and mentor, Ameen Sayani, joined us, and we shared anecdotes

ATX TV Festival, the leading TV festival for both industry and fans will be happening May 29-June 1 in Austin. Today ATX TV Festival announced additional programming for its upcoming celebration of all things TV, including:

• Seth Meyers will make his ATX TV Festival debut for the Festival’s Opening Night Marquee panel, where he will give an inside look at his work on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
• Andor creator/executive producer Tony Gilroy and writer Beau Willimon will join the festival for a discussion about constructing the world of Andor, exploring new corners of the Star Wars universe and more.
• A screening of new indie show from Mark Duplass called The Long Long Night, followed by a conversation with Duplass about the making of the series and journey towards distribution.
• Acorn TV will make its ATX TV debut with “Anatomy of an Acorn TV Series,” a panel featuring Jane Seymour, Paul Powell, and Courtney Thomasma that will delve into the streamer's growing library of originals and international favorites.
• Emmy Award-winning actress Carrie Preston will join for a conversation about Elsbeth, her hit CBS original crime dramedy.
• Joel McHale, Grace Palmer, and Michael Rowland, stars of FOX’s hit original comedy Animal Control, will attend for a hilarious inside look at the series, which recently aired its third season. 

This new programming joins a stacked lineup that includes a Mad Men retrospective with Jon Hamm, a reunion of The Leftovers with Damon Lindeloff, Carrie Coon and Justin Theroux, a session with Shrinking creator Bill Lawrence (and friends), an UNReal 10th anniversary retrospective, a conversation with TV queen Christine Baranski after she receives the Achievement in Television eXcellence Award, and more. 

•  Meyers has been a television staple for millions of viewers over the last two and half decades. Join Meyers for his ATX TV Festival debut with an inside look at NBC’s Emmy-nominated Late Night with Seth Meyers, including recurring segments that have shaped the series, his approach to political satire, and the joys of creating comedy for late night TV.

• Andor with Tony Gilroy & Beau Willimon – The critically-acclaimed Emmy-nominated series starring Diego Luna as rebel leader Cassian Andor is set to make its highly anticipated return on April 22, with a 12-episode final season chronicling the four years before Rogue One and the original 1977 Star Wars film. Following the finale, creator/executive producer Tony Gilroy and writer Beau Willimon will join the festival for a discussion about constructing the complex world of Andor, exploring new and darker corners of the Star Wars storytelling universe, and bringing Cassian’s story full circle. 

• The Long Long Night Screening and Conversation with Mark Duplass – The festival will include a screening of independent series The Long Long Night from Duplass Brothers Productions

Norwegian actor/filmmaker Espen Alknes started his acting career doing stage performances in theaters, one of which includes the National Theater in Oslo. He has contributed to multiple TV series and films. He is known for “Stardust” (2020) and “What's on Your Mind?” (2014) and Camping in Paradise (2023).

Can you speak about your background in acting first? 

ESPEN: I went to acting school in Oslo and have been working as an actor for about twenty years. There is a strong theatre scene here in Norway, so I have spent most of my career on stage. Especially at the National Theatre here in Oslo. And I have done everything, from Shakespeare, Ibsen and Miller to small independent plays in obscure locations. But I have also worked in TV and film along the way. I didn't really know I wanted to be an actor until my late teens. I stumbled into a school play in high school, mostly because I heard the parties there were the best, hehe. But then I ended up getting the lead in the play and I just loved it. And after that I auditioned for some acting schools and got in, and I never looked back. 

You've worked on films and TV. Is there a medium you like the most? 

ESPEN: I have worked in both films and TV, and I don't think I prefer one over the other really. Except maybe in TV, you get to work for a longer period sometimes and develop stronger relationships both with actors and crew. That sense of togetherness and bond can sometimes give some benefits when it comes to performances. 

What do you find most challenging about being an actor? 

ESPEN: What I find challenging about acting sometimes is making choices, committing to them and not second guessing myself. You want to be truthful and genuine in a scene and sometimes you get stuck in your head thinking about how you prepared or planned stuff instead of just listening and reacting. And you can feel the scene slipping away between your fingers. 

Being based in Norway, do you mainly work with co-production systems? Or private? Or both?

ESPEN: Norway has a national film institute that funds many of the films that are made here each year. Both features and shorts. 

Why is indie filmmaking so difficult and what advice do you have for young filmmakers out there?

ESPEN: Obviously, funding is a big part of it, I think. Working on small, or no budgets, with tight deadlines on a project that you maybe feel no one else believes in is difficult. I think you really must love to tell stories. If you start in the film industry to try to make it or be rich and famous, it will chew you up and spit you out. I think your best chance to try and get an audience for your work is to really care for the stories you tell together with the people you tell them with. Tell stories that move you, try to make yourself proud and be uncompromising with your idea.  

You have many credits under your belt. Do you have a favorite project you have worked on that you are most proud of? Your recent film has traveled to film festivals around the world. Can you tell us about it?

ESPEN: I think my latest project has a special place in my heart, “Camping in paradise”. It was a low budget film that we had high hopes for but couldn't imagine the places it has taken us to in Europe and the US. And it has received a couple of nic

Norwegian actor/filmmaker Espen Alknes started his acting career doing stage performances in theaters, one of which includes the National Theater in Oslo. He has contributed to multiple TV series and films. He is known for “Stardust” (2020) and “What's on Your Mind?” (2014) and Camping in Paradise (2023).

Can you speak about your background in acting first? 

ESPEN: I went to acting school in Oslo and have been working as an actor for about twenty years. There is a strong theatre scene here in Norway, so I have spent most of my career on stage. Especially at the National Theatre here in Oslo. And I have done everything, from Shakespeare, Ibsen and Miller to small independent plays in obscure locations. But I have also worked in TV and film along the way. I didn't really know I wanted to be an actor until my late teens. I stumbled into a school play in high school, mostly because I heard the parties there were the best, hehe. But then I ended up getting the lead in the play and I just loved it. And after that I auditioned for some acting schools and got in, and I never looked back. 

You've worked on films and TV. Is there a medium you like the most? 

ESPEN: I have worked in both films and TV, and I don't think I prefer one over the other really. Except maybe in TV, you get to work for a longer period sometimes and develop stronger relationships both with actors and crew. That sense of togetherness and bond can sometimes give some benefits when it comes to performances. 

What do you find most challenging about being an actor? 

ESPEN: What I find challenging about acting sometimes is making choices, committing to them and not second guessing myself. You want to be truthful and genuine in a scene and sometimes you get stuck in your head thinking about how you prepared or planned stuff instead of just listening and reacting. And you can feel the scene slipping away between your fingers. 

Being based in Norway, do you mainly work with co-production systems? Or private? Or both?

ESPEN: Norway has a national film institute that funds many of the films that are made here each year. Both features and shorts. 

Why is indie filmmaking so difficult and what advice do you have for young filmmakers out there?

ESPEN: Obviously, funding is a big part of it, I think. Working on small, or no budgets, with tight deadlines on a project that you maybe feel no one else believes in is difficult. I think you really must love to tell stories. If you start in the film industry to try to make it or be rich and famous, it will chew you up and spit you out. I think your best chance to try and get an audience for your work is to really care for the stories you tell together with the people you tell them with. Tell stories that move you, try to make yourself proud and be uncompromising with your idea.  

You have many credits under your belt. Do you have a favorite project you have worked on that you are most proud of? Your recent film has traveled to film festivals around the world. Can you tell us about it?

ESPEN: I think my latest project has a special place in my heart, “Camping in paradise”. It was a low budget film that we had high hopes for but couldn't imagine the places it has taken us to in Europe and the US. And it has received a couple of nic