THE WARRIOR
UK/France, 86 min, Hindi with English subtitles

The Warrior follows the visually stunning and emotionally exhilarating journey of an ancient Indian warrior who travels from the golden deserts of Rajasthan to the snowcapped peaks of the Himalaya in search of the one thing he has never known - peace - only to be chased by the forces of violence.

The debut film from acclaimed British director Asif Kapadia, 'The Warrior' features an unconventional mix of samurai-style movie action, stirring performances from largely untrained actors, sumptuous landscape photography and a mystical tale of personal redemption. Kapadia has crafted a lush and exotic, yet universal, story about the human spirit and its evolution from primal revenge to the transcendent. The film has garnered numerous awards including the Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year, the Carl Foreman Award for Best Newcomer at the BAFTAs, the Douglas Hickox Award at the British Independent Film Awards and the Best Newcomer Award from The London Evening Standard.

Irfan Khan stars as Lafcadia, a skilled and deadly Rajput warrior, who works at the behest of a brutal local warlord (Anupam Shyam) who regularly sends Lafacadia to carry out such savage punishments as beheadings and pillaging raids of entire villages. Then one day, Lafcadia decides to go straight. In the middle of a massacre, a mystical encounter with a young girl brings about a moment of transformation in which The Warrior drops his sword and vows never to kill again. Gathering his only son Katiba (Puru Chhibber), Lafcadia hits the road and heads for his native mountain village.

But the warlord who controls Lafcadia will not let his warrior go. The warlord soon dispatches a second warrior, the ruthless Biswas (Aino Annuddin), to hunt down Lafcadia and bring back his head. Still Lafcadia will not be deterred. Challenging the strict codes of The Warrior life, he will sacrifice more than he could imagine in his quest for a peaceful existence.

ASIF KAPADIA (Writer/ Director)

The Warrior marks Asif Kapadia's debut feature film and garnered numerous accolades and awards, including bringing Kapadia the Carl Foreman Award for Best Newcomer at the BAFTAs. Kapadia was earlier recognized as an exciting talent for his many award-winning television dramas, documentaries and short films. His graduate film from the Royal College of Art, "The Sheep Thief," won the Jury Prize at Cannes and the Grand Prix at the European Short Film Festival in Brest. He has also directed television commercials for Canon, Kit Kat and Hell Lager, winning a number of awards. Kapadia has further directed documentaries for the BBS and worked as a producer and director for Carlton Television's "Shift." He is currently filming the thriller "Revolver" with Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Director: Asif Kapadia
Screenplay: Asif Kapadia & Tim Miller
Producer: Bertrand Faivre
Executive Producers: Paul Webster, Hanno Huth
Director of Photography: Roman Osin
Sound Designer: Andy Shelley
Editor: Ewa J. Lind
Composer: Dario Marianelli
Cast: Irfan Khan, Puru Chhibber, Sunita Sharma, Anupam Shyam, Aino Annuddin