Britz (TV serial)
Britz | |
---|---|
Directed by | Peter Kosminsky |
Written by | Peter Kosminsky |
Starring |
Riz Ahmed Manjinder Virk |
Distributed by | Channel 4 |
Release dates | 4 October 2007 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Britz is a two-part drama serial written and directed by BAFTA-winning director Peter Kosminsky and first screened by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom in October and November 2007.
Britz attempts to understand what would lead a second generation Muslim to turn against the country of their birth. It blames Britain's anti-terrorism legislation - in particular, the contentious subject of control orders - and foreign policy for alienating the Muslim community. The film makes references to the perpetrators of the July 2005 London bombings.
Plot
The story concerns two siblings, Sohail and Nasima Wahid, who have been brought up in Bradford, West Yorkshire, a city with a large British Pakistani population. Both are now students, Sohail studying law in London and Nasima studying medicine in Leeds. With new government anti-terrorism legislation being used against Muslims in the UK in the wake of the September 11 attacks in New York, Sohail and Nasima are drawn in radically different directions. Without telling any of his family or friends, Sohail becomes a member of MI5, while continuing his studies, in the belief that he hopes to help to stop terrorists before the situation deteriorates further. In doing so, he learns that some of his neighbours and childhood friends are politically militant. Nasima is trying to integrate into British society, attending medical school and even dates an African blooded man. When her family finds out they send her back to Pakistan for a forced arranged marriage. Her boyfriend follows her, he is beaten severely and imprisoned by the extended Pakistani family and is only saved by Sohail's intervention. She had already planned to meet the head of a terror camp organisation and these events lead her to make her decision. She leaves behind her personal belongings and the terrorist group fake her death using a local female. This means she no longer exists and gives her the perfect opportunity not to change her mind and carry out her intentions of a mass suicide bombing.
Part one of the story is told from Sohail's point of view, while part two is from Nasima's point of view. The serial was filmed in London, Bradford and Hyderabad, India, not Rawalpindi though the story takes place in Pakistan in Part II.
The DVD was released in the UK on 5 November 2007.
Full cast list
- Sohail - Riz Ahmed
- Nasima - Manjinder Virk
- Tess - Mary Stockley
- Jude - Chinna Wodu
- Horne - Adrian Lukis
- Shahnaz - Shaheen Khan
- Riaz - Paul Bhattacharjee
- Rafiq - Sagar Radia
- Sabia - Zahra Ahmadi
- Shaz - Preeya Kalidas
- Sajid - Adil Mohammed Javed
- Faisal - Zaid Munir
- Matloob - Arsher Ali
- Chris - Jeff Peterson
- Lizzie - Amy Noble
- Laure - Shereen Martineau
- Aisha - Farzana Dua Elahe
- Joy - Raquel Cassidy
- Richard - Mark Bonnar
- Jan - Tracy Wiles
- Phipps - Paul Bown
- Clare - Elizabeth Hurran
- Kaneez - Harvey Virdi
- Rashid - Haider Javed
- Imran - Ash Tandon
- Plain-Clothed Policeman 1 - Julian Kay
- Plain-Clothed Policeman 2 - Nicholas Camm
- Speaker - Wasim Zakir
- Professor Towne - Roger May
- Imam 2 - Waleed Khalid
- Desk Sergeant - Martin Walsh
- Chapel - Nick Sampson
- Senior Diplomat - Simon Wilson
- Asian Man - Rudi Dharmalingam
- Inspector Hafeez - Ravin J Ganatra
- Instructor - Riz Meedin
- Mazur - Marc Anwar
- Nahid - Miriam Ali
- Imam - Munir Khairdin
- Niaz - Akbar Kurtha
- Rachel - Ruth Mitchell
- Senior Nurse - Hannah Storey
- Senior Officer - David Prosho
- Sergeant - Paul Hurstfield
- Police Motorcyclist - Peter Barich
- Newsagent - Quill Roberts
- Legal Advisor - Joanna Swain
- Muslim Male 1 - Kammy Darweish
- Muslim Male 2 - Shahid Ahmed
- Policeman - Chris David Storer
- Tajiq - Adeel Akhtar
- Trevor - Bob Mercer
- Detective 1 - Jack Pierce
- Detective 2 - Stephen Fletcher
- Asian Police Woman - Hannah Kumari
- Librarian - Gail Kemp
- Special Branch Officer - Gareth Farr
- Pilot - Rick Savery
- WPC - Dawn Finnerty
- Steve - Daniel Sung
- Shabir - Rohan Schroff
- Majid - Neil Bhoopalam
- Parvin - Tara Sharma
- Yasmin - Veena Kapoor
External links
- Channel 4 web entry
- Interview with the director Peter Kosminsky - Telegraph
- 'Britz’ blew its credibility in the final minute - Telegraph
- Britz at the Internet Movie Database