MOVING NOW FROM WASHINGTON TO HOLLYWOOD ... INDIAN-BORN FILMMAKER MIRA NAIR MAKES MOVIES ABOUT ETHNIC
IDENTITY, MIXED MARRIAGES AND TOLERANCE.
HER MOST RECENT FILM, "THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST," IS BASED ON A NOVEL AND DEALS WITH THE ALIENATION
OF A YOUNG PAKISTANI IN A POST- 9/11 WORLD.
I TALKED ABOUT IT WITH VOA FILM REPORTER PENELOPE POULOU.
THE STORY IN ITSELF IS VERY COMPELLING.
A YOUNG MAN COMES FROM PAKISTAN, VERY INTELLIGENT, GETS TOP POSITION ON WALL STREET, GETS THE
WORLD AT HIS FEET, LOTS OF MONEY AND THEN 9-11 HAPPENS.
"LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING.
I AM A LOVER OF AMERICA, ALTHOUGH I WAS RAISED TO FEEL VERY PAKISTANI.
IT FELL ON ME TO WORK HARD FOR MY FAMILY.
I LEFT TO GO WEST WHERE I WAS WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS."
CHANGEZ, A SON OF AN INTELLECTUAL PAKISTANI FAMILY AND A BRILLIANT FINANCIAL ADVISOR,
HAS EVERYTHING GOING FOR HIM: A GREAT JOB ON WALL STREET, A BEAUTIFUL AMERICAN GIRLFRIEND,
CONNECTIONS.
AFTER 9/11 EVERYTHING CHANGES.
HE IS HECKLED AT THE AIRPORT, PROFILED AS A POTENTIAL TERRORIST.
HE'S PROFILED AND BASICALLY FEELS MARGINALIZED AND RETURNS TO HIS COUNTRY.
SO THAT'S WHAT GRABBED ME.
WHAT GRABBED ME EVEN MORE IS THAT THIS FILM WAS RELEASED A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THE MARATHON
BOMBINGS.
AND TALKING TO MIRA NAIR, SHE'S COME OUT AS AN EMERGING SOUTH ASIAN DIRECTOR ON A GLOBAL
LEVEL.
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU STARTED TALKING TO HER?
OH SHE'S VERY A VERY DYNAMIC, VERY PASSIONATE WOMAN.
SHE FEELS VERY STRONGLY ABOUT GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP.
"LET'S MAKE A MOVIE HERE."
AND SHE FEELS THAT PROFILING BASED ON YOUR ETHNIC HERITAGE OR YOUR RELIGION SHOULD STOP
BECAUSE THAT IS NOT A WAY FOR THE WORLD TO FIND PEACE.
WE NEED A BETTER FORM OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATION IN ORDER TO SEEK PEACEFUL SOLUTIONS.
I KIND OF CONNECTED TO YOUR INTERVIEW WITH MIRA AND TO THE FILM AS WELL, BECAUSE WHEN
YOU SAY A SMART, INTELLIGENT PAKISTANI, IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE ME.
BUT WHAT I DON'T AGREE WITH IN THE FILM IS I HAVE NEVER BEEN AS A PAKISTANI LIKE ASKED
TO BE SIDELINED OR JUST STEP ASIDE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S A KIND OF DRAMA IN THERE WHICH I DON'T SEE IN REAL LIFE.
OKAY, HERE IS A QUESTION THAT I HAVE FOR YOU.
IS THIS YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, OR IS IT AN EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD BE A MAINSTREAM EXPERIENCE?
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO FIND OUT.
FROM SOURCES THAT I HAVE, I KNOW HOMELAND SECURITY ROUTINELY PROFILES PEOPLE BASED ON
THEIR ETHNIC ORIGIN AND THEIR RELIGION.
AND MAYBE SOMETIMES THEY DO IT NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE RACIST OR BIASED, BUT BECAUSE THEY
ARE GRAPPLING WITH FINDING A COMMON DENOMINATOR AS TO WHO COULD BE THE POTENTIAL TERRORIST.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE MIRA NAIR'S FILM STRUCK A CHORD.
CHANGEZ LOSES HIS GIRLFRIEND, GIVES UP HIS LUCRATIVE JOB AND RETURNS TO HIS COUNTRY TO
TEACH ECONOMICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LAHORE.
HIS THEORIES CRITICIZING RAMPANT CAPITALISM AND THE AMERICAN DREAM ATTRACT A FOLLOWING,
AND HE BECOMES A PRIME SUSPECT IN THE KIDNAPPING OF AN AMERICAN PROFESSOR.
"BECAUSE SO OFTEN BOTH SIDES AND ANY SIDE IN OUR LIFE IS PRESENTED AS REDUCTIONIST,
AS GOOD OR BAD, OR BLACK OR WHITE.
BUT THERE IS A WHOLE LEVEL OF GRAY AND GRAY IS ALSO BEAUTIFUL."
SO IS THIS WHAT MIRA NAIR IS TRYING TO PUT OUT THERE?
THAT PROFILING MIGHT END IN GETTING THE WRONG GUY?
YES, ABSOLUTELY THAT'S ONE THING.
AND ANOTHER ISSUE THAT THE FILM IS BRINGING UP, WHICH IS VERY SIGNIFICANT, IS EVEN IF
YOU GET TO DEVELOP RADICAL IDEAS BECAUSE OF YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, THAT DOES NOT MAKE
YOU A TERRORIST.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ELIZABETH GOITTEIN FROM THE BRENNAN CENTER OF JUSTICE CONFIRMED.
"THESE PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES OF A WOULD BE TERRORIST NEEDS TO SHIFT FROM THAT TO FOCUSING ON ACTUAL
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OR ACTIVITY THAT HAS INDICATORS OF POTENTIAL CRIMINALITY."
"WHY DID YOU WANT TO COME TO AMERICA?"
"FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, JIM, IT'S CHANGIZ" MIRA NAIR HOPES HER FILM WILL HELP SHED SOME
OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS AND PROMOTE DIALOGUE IN A GROWING MULTICULTURAL WORLD.
TALKING TO MIRA NAIR, DID YOU SENSE THERE'S GOING TO BE A SEQUEL OR THAT SHE'S GOING TO
PURSUE STORIES LIKE THAT WHICH RESONATE WITH PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD?
SHE ALREADY DOES.
ALL THE STORIES MIRA NAIR HAS DONE SO FAR INVOLVED MULTI RACIAL, MULTI CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS.
"YES, I 'M PAKISTANI, YES, I'M MUSLIM BUT THAT'S NOT ALL I AM."
SHE HERSELF SAID HOW MUCH SHE IDENTIFIES WITH HER DUAL NATURE.
THAT SHE LOVES AMERICA BUT SHE LOVES INDIA.
ACTUALLY SHE EVEN LOVES UGANDA WHERE HERE FAMILY IS FROM.
SO SHE SAYS ALL THESE THREE SPOTS ARE HER HOME.
SHE'S A GLOBAL CITIZEN.
MIRA NAIR HAS QUITE THE REPERTOIRE OF FILMS.
SHE DIRECTED "VANITY FAIR" - A FILM BASED ON THE 19TH CENTURY BOOK BY WILLIAM THACKERAY.
AND MORE RECENTLY - "AMELIA," BASED ON THE LIFE OF AMELIA EARHART.