I am a screenwriter who tells the stories of those erased from history. My screenplay, "Tapestry," is set in 2019 and in WW1 in the Ypres, Belgium battle. Over 1.3 South Asian Indian soldiers fought for the British. These soldiers were fighting British oppression while fighting for them as sepoys. I am telling their story with Hollywood embellishments. I also tell the South Asian Indian immigrant experiences from my life in the screenplay.
My work in progress is about the WW2 all African-American battalion, the 6888, whose motto was, "No mail, low morale." They eliminated mail backlog dating back a couple of years in WW2 Europe while facing racism at home, but accommodations and welcomes in Europe.
I look forward to connecting with people in the industry!
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Wow sounds very much interested
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Welcome Aswini & Good Luck! Great stories!
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The English have always treated the colonial solders as cannon fodder they did that to the Canadians at Dieppe in WW2 and the Australian Light horse in WW1 in Palestine.
Thanks everyone!
@Charles Felthousen, thank you for the comment. The South Asian Indians in WW1 were in an interesting situation because unlike Canada and Australia, during both World Wars, India was a British colony. South Asians were simultaneously fighting for their freedom, and for the British as sepoys in WW1.
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Hi Ashwini, I studied military history at university, specifically WW1, and now, like you, write historical dramas from the forgotten pages of history. I think your screenplay about the Indian soldiers who served in Europe sounds really compelling. I don't know much about the Indian contribution to the war as I daresay many people don't, but I imagine there is a pivotal moment in the war that helped cement their reputation and contribute to the national identity and remembrance of the conflict, similar to the Canadians at Vimy Ridge or the Australians at Gallipoli. One thing, please please please be wary of the Hollywood embellishment, it always pains me when Hollywood takes an historical story and warps it to the point of being farcical e.g. Pearl Harbour/U571/Fury, the list goes on and on. I appreciate there has to be a sense of balance between drama and historical accuracy, but one shouldn't come at the cost of the other. Nevertheless it's a war story set in Ypres, and that's enough for me to be intrigued
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Hello,
Thank you for the comment Callum McKay. and I look forward to seeing your movies in the near future! For clarity, I write my screenplays by providing an authentic voice to the people I write about. For example, if I choose to write about an ethnic group I am not a part of, I will ensure I interview people from that particular ethnic group for their perspective, and/or ensure my second writer is of the ethnic group.
However, I am not a documentarian nor a historian, and neither are my screenplays or the message in them at this time. My goals with my screenplays are that: 1. My story is intriguing enough for people to research and learn more about the people I write about – the ones erased from history; and, 2: People are entertained. “Tapestry,” my creativity, and my screenplays may not be for you and some others.