This film is part of Free
Surviving Sabu
A budding gay filmmaker clashes with his conservative Muslim father as they work on a film about iconic Indian star Sabu
Overview
Funded by the Arts Council of England as part of its Moving Image series of films about ethnic identity in Britain, Ian Iqbal Rashid's debut short deservedly won him various industry accolades upon its release. Its sympathetic depiction of a strained relationship between a budding gay filmmaker and his conservative Muslim father as they collaborate on a film about Indian star Sabu - best known for his contribution to British cinema in the 1930s and 40s - is steered by exceptional performances from Suresh Oberoi and Navin Chowdry.
Generational conflict lies at the heart of the tension: armed with the arrogance of youth and an air of intellectual superiority, Amin seeks to expose his father's idol as a colonial pawn who became the unwitting victim of Hollywood exploitation. Sadru despairs of his son's lack of respect, and struggles to come to terms with Amin's sexuality and lifestyle. The ensuing drama is refracted through images of Sabu in glorious Technicolor, freeze-framed forever in his youthful prime, in marked contrast to the monochrome reality of his fall from grace.
Related
What's a Girl Like You ... What's a Girl Like You ...
Documentary 1969 52 mins Location: Vauxhall
Scintillating look at the 1960s drag renaissance, with a visit to London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
Gay Black Group Gay Black Group
Magazine and Review show 1983 25 mins Location: Bloomsbury
The Gay Black Group - reasserting culture and identity on two levels.
David Is Homosexual David Is Homosexual
Amateur film 1978 38 mins Location: Lewisham
A lonely gay man discovers friends, love and activism in this rediscovered educational film made by the Campaign for Homosexual Equality
What Am I? What Am I?
Current affairs 1980 26 mins Location: Hay-on-Wye/Y Gelli Gandryll
Transgender pioneer April Ashley appears in this moving look at the challenges faced by the trans community in 1980s Britain
Illegal Tender Illegal Tender
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1987 14 mins
Queer psychedelic portrait of a young man’s desires in an industrial wasteland
Facing the Sun Facing the Sun
Drama 1980 54 mins
Sao Paulo-set love triangle drama, featuring a rare TV depiction of bisexuality.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.