I think you need to ask yourself two questions. (1) Why do you want to make the film on this particular subject. (2) Why do you think anyone else would want to watch this film.

If you can answer those two quesitons a lot of answers will come naturally.

Realistically you might also find that the kind of folks that go convert to Islam are not so much abused as they are pampered and looking for structure in their lives like John Walker Lynn who had everything but structure.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

While I agree with you that many privileged youth have turned to religion for needed structure in there lives. I would also say that there are also many inner city kids who have also grown up without structure and have had terrible childhoods have turned to religion for the same structure and community that those who have grown up in nice homes.

Why do I want to make this film? To me I think the subject of finding yourself and finding God are universal subject that many can relate to. For me It is something that I struggle with daily. So much of this story will be personal, although I am not a Muslim I am agnostic.

I think people will want to watch this movie because at least in America we are going though a time where religion is playing a very heated role in the public debate.

Do I expect that making one film will change the world, no not in the least. I don't expect that many people to even see it. Outside the few festivals and friends and family.

In the end I want a character study and not a political propaganda peace (although it will be political.)

You make good points on the recruitment. Islam has grown in the prison population and there is the Nation of Islam in the ghettos. But I think you somewhat miss my point. I'm not asking for you to explain it to me or the forum, but to be sure you understand for yourself. Knowing why and who the audience is likely to be can help you flesh out the story, the theme, and perhaps be prepared for the inevitable criticism that will come from anything having to do with religion.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

seems like an episode of '24'.

"I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell uplifitng stories that can move people to cry with joy and inspire them to reach for the stars."-Wes Craven

I like it. But make sure you create some really interesting, well-developed characters, or (like any film) this could turn out to be quite boring.

some issues for you to think about. why does he go straight to a terrorist group? why not to other good islamic people? there is no protaganist. we have a lost character then half way through teh movie he finds a yoda type figure the this figure leaves so the first thing he does is he turns to evil? why? if he has gone to islam as a way to cope then why is he desperate? i can see him being depressed cause his role model left but why does all of a sudden does he want to cause terror? and if our main character is teh protagonist then who is the antagonist? the plot we be boring and slow until we meet a villian or something to hurt the main character which isnt till the end. just some things to think about.

"I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell uplifitng stories that can move people to cry with joy and inspire them to reach for the stars."-Wes Craven

robi886, you seem so profoundly stupid and close minded in your replies that I can almost taste it. It could be such a powerful story, if executed correctly, that it would go down in history as a cinematic landmark. Yoda was a horrible example, man... I see it like this: He was abused by a man he was supossed to trust his entire life, so he sought out that lost sense of trust through sex...the dependency of drugs...and others who do drugs with him... The human mind often works differently than it should. On his knees...at the bottom of the well...he is offered what seems a true sense of trust--a figure to guide him...to replace what was lost: the islamic man. But where this man could have been a good man...a man who truly wanted to aid this boy's salvation with the only force he had,his religion, he alas was not. And like the boy's father took advantage of him and his trust as a child, the islamic man does the same and uses the boy and the boy's trust in him as tools to aid a great, dark evil (terrorism).

There either needs to be a point where the boy realizes what's going wrong....or else it needs to be sad and inconclusive. You can't cop-out on this one. It could have the fall and rise impact of a great film like BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY or the strangely cathartic inconlusiveness of a glorious movie like AMERICAN BEAUTY.

This is something really special and something you should really stick with, man....it could be one of the great stories of traumatization and attempted salvation to be told.

A tool for improving the human condition...

The departure of the Islamic man is wholly unnecessary (total spelling error). His presence is, in fact, essential to portray the manipulative aspect of terrorism on its followers. Forget the stereotypes....the John Walker Lynn's...the etc... Focus on this character, because it is obvious he is already full realized in your mind.

A tool for improving the human condition...

sorry Hall, i have to disagree with your suggestion there, pquery i like your idea as keeping the old man as a good figure. He can represent the one extreme of a flawless character, in comparison to the boy's father, who is completely corrupted, and then the other Islamic people he gets in contact with (in poorer areas, he already was in a slum-type community, so there are no sort of educated muslims there, only violent people) who happen to be extremists, and convert him to become a suicide bomber. something like that.

Sounds like a great idea, hope you can turn it into a good movie. Good luck.

But that doesnt flow...it doesn't work with the stages. A big thing to stress is the fact that these groups and these people who control these groups, manipulate tthe faith and trust of others....they obscure it and re-render it. It would be a much more profound statement...and it would also leave us questioning whether the islamic man is in some ways good or just pure evil. The suicide bomber idea would be a bad one and would not be appreciated in festivals after some of the strong features offered in the late 1990's. You can't tell the author what type of terrorism to write about, if there even is an act of terrorism to begin with. It's all based on emotional continuity. Through this Islamic man, too...the boy can also be offered a chance to confront his father's betrayal as a now reasonable and articulate adult....he can salvage himself by not turning to destruction as a way of coping with his problems. Through this story...you can see a massive transformation in the character's spirit. It would be much more profound.

A tool for improving the human condition...

hall, i dont know what your issue is with me. i wasnt being mean i was just asking questions that i believe could better his story. i think it could be a very good story but there are flaws with it. and the point to this forum is to help people develope there stories. Thats al lim doing. i never said his plot was stupid. i was just telling him things i think could help him make his story stronger. These are important questions that i think the audience will ask. pquery if you were offended by anything i said im sorry, but i wasnt trying to be mean. and hall, you seem to be new here. i think one thing yo uhave to learn is that we are all film makers and we all have a different idea of what a movie should be so we post these ideas here. and people who view this forum might like them or not. but for you to speak out against me like that i think is immature and rude. im trying to help not make people angry.
Hall you said this,
"It could be such a powerful story, if executed correctly"
and i agree with you but for it to be executed correctly i believe pquery needs to answer some crucial questions. once again we all have our own views so pquery might ignore me and im fine with that but you are the first person i have seen come up on this forum and start bashing people. take it down a notch.

"I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell uplifitng stories that can move people to cry with joy and inspire them to reach for the stars."-Wes Craven

"Sounds like an episode of '24'."

Yeah....and you have a quote by Wes Craven in your signature.

A tool for improving the human condition...

I believe he told stories about sick, grind-house rape, murder, torture and mysogany.

I wouldnt reach for the stars on that.

A tool for improving the human condition...

once again you need to calm down. im not really a huge wes craven fan, i dont even really like the horror genre, but i think that is a great quote. he is also hailed as the Master of the Horror genre and his films have won numerous awawrds, so until you have respect for the elders in this buisness dont bash them.

ps. nice way of avoiding the argument and just bashing me?;)?

"I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell uplifitng stories that can move people to cry with joy and inspire them to reach for the stars."-Wes Craven