PRESS RELEASE

23 September 2015

Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story to premiere at Indian Film Festival The Hague

Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story relates the real and remarkable story of an unlikely Muslim heroine of mixed Indian-American descend who got caught up in a web of intrigues during WWII. This American docudrama by the award-winning UPF director Robert Gardner will premiere in the Netherlands at the Indian Film Festival The Hague October 7-14, 2015. The public programme features a panel discussion with Q&A later that week.

Who was Noor Inayat Khan? What was her contribution to the war effort? Why did she feel compelled to fight for peace and freedom? Why does her story stand out? And in what ways can Noor’s story inspire us, today?

Participating guests:

• Shaikh-ul-Mashaik Mahmood Khan Youskine, Indian-Dutch historian, adviser to the Soefi Stichting (Sufi Foundation) Shaikh-ul-Mashaik Maheboob Khan and a nephew of Noor Inayat Khan, the Netherlands;
• Shrabani Basu, Indian-British writer, author of the biography Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan, UK;
• Nupur Kohli, Indian-Dutch doctor, author, speaker on stress management and women empowerment, the Netherlands.

The audience can engage in a Q&A session with the speakers after the panel discussion. It is followed by a screening of the American docudrama. The panel discussion and Q&A will be moderated by Aya Dürst Britt, initiator and coordinator of the Dutch project ‘De vrijheid van Noor Inayat Khan’ (The Freedom of Noor Inayat Khan).

Screenings

During the festival, Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story will be screened three times in The Hague and once in Amstelveen in the context of the festival’s ‘On Tour’ programme:

• Thursday 8 October – 19.15 hrs – location: Filmhuis Den Haag, premiere
• Sunday 11 October – 17.15 hrs – location: Filmhuis Den Haag
• Sunday 11 October – 17.00 hrs – location: Cinema Amstelveen
• Tuesday 13 October – 19.00 hrs – location: Filmhuis Den Haag

About the Indian Film Festival The Hague
The Indian Film Festival The Hague stimulates the knowledge, distribution and promotion of Indian film with an emphasis on artistic quality and diversity. From 7-14 October 2015 in The Hague, you can watch over 30 especially selected films from the Indian cinema and Indian diaspora. The Indian Film Festival The Hague features eight days of cinema and zooms this year into the role of women in contemporary Indian cinema. Films screened are made by independent talents from India and the Indian diaspora. Whether you’re a lover of art house films, documentaries or popular Hindi films largely unknown in the Netherlands, the Indian Film Festival The Hague has something for you. For more information and the programme: www.indianfilmfestival.nl.

Synopsis (concise)

Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story tells the story of a talented, kind-hearted young Muslim woman born unto an Indian father and American mother who heroically sacrificed herself in the fight for freedom against Nazi Germany during WWII. For almost four months Noor occupied the most dangerous post as the first female clandestine radio operator connecting London with members of the resistance in the greater Paris district. Her courage changed the course of war. Betrayal from within the ranks of the French resistance marked her untimely death –not the Gestapo’s cleverness.

Academy Award winning actress Helen Mirren narrates Noor’s story.

Cast & Crew

Cast: Grace Srinivasan, Joe Isenberg, Thomas Keegan, Mike Sullivan, Sasha Olinick; director: Robert Gardner; script: Carrie Gardner; narrator: Helen Mirren; producer: Robert Gardner, Char Gardner, UPF; music: Charles Denler; cinematography: Nick Gardner; editor: Jeremy Morrison

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Images of Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story can be downloaded from Dropbox after registration.

For more information, interview requests, screener link, offers en images please contact:

Regarding the IndianFFTH:
Britt Colegem | +31 (0) 6 – 164 76 446 | britt@brittpr.nl

Regarding Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story and the project:
Aya Dürst Britt | +31 (0)6 – 17 694 594 | ayajddurstbritt@gmail.com

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Our mailing address is: info@indianffth.nl