War Zone

Loader’s remarks are very much in keeping with his affinity for the satirical in contemporary politics— the veteran producer’s recent film In The Loop ,which was in the running for both the BAFTA and the Oscars this year,in the Best British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay category respectively,is (no points for guessing) a political satire on the US-British diplomatic ties. The movie,made on a tight budget of barely three million pounds did not win,but Loader is far from disappointed. “We were quite the underdogs going into the Oscars. We just did not do enough to campaign for the film. I think we were not even fit to be given this platform,” he shrugs modestly.

A dark political comedy,In The Loop,directed by BAFTA-winning Armando Iannucci,is set in the political boardrooms of London and Washington ,against the backdrop of an impending war in the Middle-East. Under such circumstances a zealous British minister manages to embroil himself in a controversy over his remarks made during an interview. While the movie seems to focus on the events leading up to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq ,there are no specific references. Loader says the decision was pre-meditated. “The film is notionally set in a time when war has not yet happened and does not have any reference to any living head of state. We have kept the theme emblematic,allowing audiences to draw parallels,” explains Loader,whose film will be screened in Delhi as part of the UK Film Festival on March 16.

The film,which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year,has clearly touched a chord with the audience. “We kept our fingers crossed at the Utah screening (Sundance). But within 10 minutes of the opening,the American audience broke into laughter. That made it worth it,” recalls Loader,who was in charge of organising locations and liaising with American actors. Even if it missed out on the Oscars and the BAFTA,the film’s screenplay has gone on to win several awards at different international festivals,besides nomination in other categories.

In The Loop is loosely inspired by the popular BBC comedy series on television,In the Thick of It and has even retained some characters of the original,including that of Malcolm Tucker,a fierce looking director of Communications of the British government. “We wanted to expand the dimensions of the serial to see how it would fare on screen. So if the show was about British politics,the film is an edgy screwball comedy with fast dialogues on international diplomacy,” says Loader,whose earlier works include a cinematic adaptation of Louis De Bernieres’ book Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by the same name. Up next is another satire titled Byzantine,to be directed by Iannucci,about a media tycoon at the end of his career.