IISJ movie to impact student behavior

Students at the International Indian School of Jeddah (IISJ) have proved that they possess the skills to produce a movie.
Complete with dramatic and tear-jerking moments that range from high breathtaking acts to simple scenes, “The Frenemy: Your Enemy in Disguise” tackles issues that greatly affect teenagers, like the steep fall into depression and bad influences.
Directed and led by the team leader, Hurairah Chorghay, and supported by co-director Abdul Baseer and members of the IISJ Peace Club, the movie contained complete character immersion, a fully-fledged script, a brilliant camera crew and separate teams for editing and sound mixing.
“Amazingly, all this was done on the most minimal of budgets,” said Noufal Palakkoth, headmaster of grades nine to 12 of the boys’ section. He said the film would have a big impact on changing the behavior of students for the better.
Slated to be screened originally at IISJ youth festival, the premiere of “The Frenemy” was later pushed further to a full day of its performance due its demanding screening time.
The lead character, portrayed by Hurairah himself, plays a sharp teenage boy that goes through academic and moral decline, brought on by the ill-effects of his bad company. What follows is a tantalizing and immersive storyline, clearly exhibiting the powerful, passionate acting of the amateur cast.
“The movie stands out due to its crowning glory; the relatable scenarios portrayed. Every single instance of the movie gives an opportunity to be thought upon quite significantly,” Palakkoth said.
The movie has garnered acclaim from IISJ students, as well as ex-students, who have appreciated the venture through social media platforms.
Since its announcement in September of 2013, images of the movie have spread like wildfire, getting 1,500 likes on Facebook. The movie also received positive responses from IISJ faculty members, with some serving cameo appearances in it.
“’Frenemy’ is a true glimpse into a place where imagination collides with ethical issues. The movie hopes to inspire the future classes of IISJ to develop a sense of scrutiny toward mutual relationships,” Palakkoth said.
Chorghay was excited over his innovative work. “Even though management is part of my day-to-day life, directing a film was lot more than that. It was not only the resources and equipment that had to be preplanned and arranged for, but also the scene set-up, script, cinematography effects, acting moods, scene duration and most importantly, always keeping in mind the story so as to not deviate from the main message,” he said.