Shezad Dawood's Sci-Fi Film 'Piercing Brightness' Premieres at Sci-Fi London Film Festival
Shezad Dawood's debut feature film 'Piercing Brightness' premiered at the Sci-Fi London Film Festival, blending gallery-style aesthetics with cinematic storytelling. The film explores themes of cultural migration through a sci-fi narrative where aliens, known as the 'Glorious 100', have lived incognito in Preston, England, shifting between human bodies. A Pakistan-born newsagent character lists previous 'shells' that ran the same shop, reflecting changing demographics. Dissent arises among the aliens over whether to stay on Earth or return home, heightened by two new arrivals teleported via luminescent stones reminiscent of 'Starman'. Scored by Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mothers Temple, the film uses abstract imagery and a fear-laden soundscape. Dawood's work critiques alien genre metaphors, offering a nuanced take on immigration and identity compared to films like 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'. It will be in selected cinemas from 7 June.
Key facts
- Shezad Dawood directed his first feature film 'Piercing Brightness'
- The film premiered at the Sci-Fi London Film Festival
- It features aliens called the 'Glorious 100' living in Preston, England
- A Pakistan-born newsagent character highlights changing demographics through alien 'shells'
- Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mothers Temple scored the film
- The film uses abstract imagery and a non-linear scene sequence
- It draws on sci-fi classics like 'Starman' from 1984
- The film will be in selected cinemas from 7 June
Entities
Artists
- Shezad Dawood
- Makoto Kawabata
- Jeff Bridges
Institutions
- Sci-Fi London Film Festival
- Acid Mothers Temple
Locations
- Preston
- England
- Pakistan