Little Terrorist wins UIP Prix 2004 Ghent

He managed to impress the international jury with this contemporary drama, based on a true story. It is a story in which hope and humanity conquer hate and fear. In addition to the prize money of € 2,000, Kumar also landed a nomination for the Prix UIP for Best European Short.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office' />

Little Terrorist tells the moving story of a Pakistani Muslim boy who accidentally crosses the Pakistani-Indian border which is riddled with landmines. He ends up in a strange country that regards him as a terrorist. The old orthodox Hindu Bhola takes him in and hides him from the Indian soldiers. However, traditions and prejudices about Muslims remain an obstacle in the relationship between Bhola and the boy. Ultimately, humanity triumphs over prejudice when Bhola risks his own life to help Jamal cross the border again. This symbolic story of hope is a tale of human solidarity conquering all artificial boundaries.

Ashvin Kumar's Little Terrorist also won first prize for best short film at the Montreal Film Festival. In addition, it is scheduled at numerous other leading international film festivals. Due to the limited budget, a group of authentic Rajasthani musicians were recruited to provide the music for the film. What started as an experimental cost-saving impulse eventually resulted in a lyrical and unique fusion of Indian folk and a more traditional western composed film score.

This short film is not Ashvin Kumar' first piece. In 2002 he directed the successful film Road to Ladakh, for which he received acclaim at various film festivals, including Cannes.

This is the fourth edition of the UIP Prix Ghent. With this international competition, the Festival intends to give European producers of short films a helping hand. The winner is automatically nominated for the Prix UIP for Best European Short Film, competing with the winners of another eleven film festivals for the first prize of € 10,000.