“The Terrorist,” an Indian film about a young woman revolutionary, will be shown at Wake Forest University Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. in Greene Hall, Room 145. Helga Welsh, associate professor of political science, will give a short lecture before the 95-minute film is shown.
This event is free and open to the public. It is part of the university’s Year of Unity and Hope.
“The Terrorist” was released in 1998 by award-winning Indian cinematographer Santosh Sivan. It was inspired by the events surrounding the 1991 assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi. Set in Sri Lanka, the film follows 19-year-old Malli, a revolutionary who competes for a prestigious position as a suicide bomber. She has spent most of her life in revolutionary training as her entire family has dedicated their lives to “the cause.”
Malli is eventually chosen for the coveted suicide bomber position. As she watches for the signal to detonate the bomb, she waits outside the insulation of the revolutionary group. She begins to consider her own emotions for the first time and people she meets affect her in new ways.
The film is especially poignant today as the war on terrorism continues, Welsh said. The public seems to want to know more about the perpetrators of the attacks of Sept. 11. Other terrorists including “shoe bomber” Richard Reid and John Walker Lindh, the American who joined the Taliban, are popular subjects in the media.
“The main character in “The Terrorist,” Malli, gives terrorism a face,” Welsh said. “She gives the audience a glimpse into the mind of someone who would die and murder for her cause.” For more information, call Welsh at 336-758-5452.
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