2 June 17:30 | Odeon Luxe West End

After a series of catastrophic auditions, young actor Aden takes the lead in finding a new character to play. 

Mancunian director Naqqash Khalid’s debut feature film, In Camera, is a satire offering a dream-like eeriness and take on the trials of the acting industry through the eyes of Aden (played by Nabhaan Rizwaan), a young Asian actor. Having premiered in the Proxima Competition of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2023, Khalid invites viewers on a surreal, mind-bender through the challenges faced by Asian individuals, prompting them to question their aspirations within a racist system inherently biased against them. 

Aden’s debut in the acting world sees him drenched in stage blood, lying motionless on the floor as a corpse in his first role. With no lines to deliver or cues to follow, this marks his initial step into the industry. Disheartened, he retreats to his flat in Manchester, shared with his tirelessly working nurse flatmate Bo, (Rory Fleck Byrne), and their new flatmate, Conrad (Amir El-Masry), who joins them to help cover their living expenses. 

With rent due, Aden embarks on a series of demoralising auditions, where he feels lost amidst a sea of similar faces, selected for their ‘authentic brownness’ in a demeaning initiative by junior executives. Faced with rejection after rejection, Conrad offers Aden a cynical pep talk on the industry’s urgent call for increased diversity. Fueled by a mix of envy and unease, what unfolds next is a gripping and unsettling chain of events, prompting us to question the moral compass of engaging in an industry where empathy is overshadowed by success. 

“In Camera” serves as a poignant critique of the arts industry, revealing its inherent connections to law enforcement and racial dynamics. Khalid says, “The intention isn’t ‘how do I be a disruptor, but what my personal politics are, the things I’m passionate about […] that is inherently disruptive to the status quo.”

Naqqash Khalid | 96 mins | United Kingdom

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Naqqash Khalid