blinded by the light

Javed a 16 year old Pakistani boy growing up in thatchers England of 1987, in the town of Luton.

Gurinder Chadha

$15M medium budget

Bend it films with the support of Levantine Films (independent production company) and Ingenious media (investment company)

- trailer, film poster with review quotes such as 'irresistible you won't stop smiling'
- premieres in London, Luton and Astbury Park (attended by Bruce Springsteen)
- heavy social media presence on Facebook Twitter Instagram and youtube
- interviews with writer director and stars across TV radio newspapers and magazines

$18.1M - some argued that they should have had a limited release to build audience interest - others claimed the poor box office figures were due to the release date being too close to 'Yesterday' a film with surface similarities

grew up part of the Indian/Asian diaspora - and so her films always dealt with the immigrant experience

at sundance
won by Warner bros and new line cinema who acquired it for $15M

- racism due to thatchers neo liberal policies priptizing privatisation creating more financial difficulties for the working class and mass unemployment leading to nationalists and racists blaming immigrants
- Brixton riots, 3 million unemployed, sus law
- class struggle as part of a larger system of oppression
- film shows how issues of the poor and working classes are very closely related to issues of racial inequality

give age ratings for films
non government organisation
funded through charged fees from film distributors

age rated 12
- discriminatory language condemned
- infrequent moderate-bad language