srik narayanan

JULY 2011 // Signed up to direct a feature-length documentary for Channel 4
- I have signed up with BAFTA-winning producers Nick Curwin and Magnus Temple at The Garden to produce and direct a really exciting, feature-length arts documentary for Channel 4. Production begins in July and will continue until April 2012.
JUNE 2011 // Teasers for latest film
- My latest film, an episode of Raw TV's 'Locked Up Abroad', will premiere on National Geographic Channel across the US on July 6th 2001 at 10PM and will then be broadcast globally.
  
  Two teasers are available here and here.
  
  The drama-doc tells the true story of British martial artist Chris Chance who lived with his wife, and fellow black-belt, Susan on the Spanish Costa del Sol. He was duped into smuggling drugs by his unscrupulous landlords. After doing runs on planes, in cars and by boat he was eventually caught after he offered to help a fellow trafficker on a last-minute run.
  
  The film stars Mark Wingett (The Bill, Quadrophenia) in the lead role, and I am the Writer/Director.
  
  Meanwhile, it looks like I'm going to be directing a feature-length documentary for Channel 4 from July.
APRIL 2011 // Completed principal photography on new drama-doc
- I have just returned from the Dominican Republic having completed principal photography on an hour-long drama-doc for the latest season of hit Raw TV/Nat Geo show 'Locked Up Abroad'.
  
  The film tells the true story of British martial artist Chris Chance who lived with his wife, and fellow black-belt, Susan on the Spanish Costa del Sol. He was duped into smuggling drugs by his unscrupulous landlords. After doing runs on planes, in cars and by boat he was eventually caught after he offered to help a fellow trafficker on a last-minute run.
  
  The film stars Mark Wingett (The Bill, Quadrophenia) in the lead role. It is produced by 'Locked Up' veteran Tim Riding and I am the Writer/Director. Post-production will continue through May and June. The piece is expected to air globally this Summer..
DECEMBER 2010 // Latest film has worldwide premiere in the US
- My latest film, a drama-doc called ‘Alabama Prison Riot’, will premiere in the US on Discovery Channel.
  It is scheduled to air on 18 December 2010 at 10pm as part of ‘Get Out Alive’.
  
  Details at Discovery.com. See the trailer on Vimeo.
NOVEMBER 2010 // Delivered latest film for Raw TV
- After five months in production I’ve delivered my latest film – a drama-doc for Raw TV.
  
  It tells the true story of Byron Sanders, a prison officer taken hostage by Cuban inmates at an Alabama jail, and follows the FBI team who face the task of breaking into a high-security unit to rescue the hostages.
  
  Now titled ‘Alabama Prison Riot’, the piece will be shown worldwide as part of a raft of new drama-docs being launched by Discovery Channel at the end of the year.
SEPTEMBER 2010 // Completed principal photography on Raw project
- Returned from Cape Town after a great shoot. Fantastic performances from leads Christopher Ragland and Peter Vollebregt. A few pictures are posted here.
  
  Post-production already underway with editor Ryan Boucher. Due to complete end of November.
AUGUST 2010 // Shooting in Phoenix and Cape Town and helping young people make their first films
- Completed the first part of the shoot on the Raw project in Phoenix, Arizona and soon leaving for Cape Town where we’ll be joining forces with Film Afrika for the drama shoot.
  
  During August I took a few days away from production to help out at a Film Summer School run as part of Leave2Remain. I was part of a team helping a group of new Londoners aged 14-20 make their first films. View the results on the Leave2Remain site. Great project. Important agenda.
JULY 2010 // Teaming up again with the lovely folks at Raw to shoot a new drama-doc
- This month I'll be teaming up again with the lovely folks at Raw to shoot a new drama-doc about a prison riot.
  Pre-production starts in July with principal photography slated for late August and early September. Shooting locations yet to be determined. It's another opportunity for me to collaborate with wonderful DP Gary Clarke.
JUNE 2010 // Shooting a short film for Nintendo
- I've been asked by agency Dentsu London to shoot a short film for Nintendo through production company 76 Ltd. The documentary-style piece is inspired by the recent release of Super Mario Galaxy 2 and has an astronomical theme.
APRIL 2010 // Shooting a film for Canon
- I've been shooting a 3' film about wildlife photographer Thorsten Milse. The piece was commissioned by Bethany Wilcox at agency Dentsu London for Canon Europe and the production company was 76 Ltd. It shows off Canon's top-of-the-line professional printer, the Pixma Pro 9500 MkII.
  
  We captured the entire film in the Canon 5D MkII which thanks to DP Sorted was very fast, unobtrusive and produced amazing results. The editor was Aidan Taub at Sue Moles with finishing at Framestore and 750mph. Read the production story here. Watch the full-length spot on Canon's site.
MARCH 2010 // Shooting in Southern California and Mexico
- Shooting in Southern California and Mexico on the 'Plane Crash' project.
FEBRUARY 2010 // Prepping in Los Angeles/Delivered films for Electrolux
- In Los Angeles preparing for principal photography on the 'Plane Crash' project for Dragonfly.
  Delivered 4x3' films and 7x20" spots for Electrolux. Production Company: 76 Ltd, Agency: Lowe Brindfors.
DECEMBER 2009 // In Los Angeles for 'Plane Crash'
- In production in Los Angeles on 'Plane Crash'.
NOVEMBER 2009 // 'Human Zoo' premieres on Channel 4 to much critical acclaim
- My latest documentary 'The Human Zoo' premiered on Channel 4 on November 1st. This is what the critics thought:
  
  'A remarkable documentary,' The Guardian
  
  'This intelligent and illuminating film bravely addresses our continuing reluctance to talk about race today,' Cordelia Jenkins, Financial Times
  
  'Extraordinary,' The Times
  
  'Television documentary is at its best when it shines a light on what we know in our hearts must have taken place, but over which history has seen fit to draw a veil. So it is with Srik Narayanan's film, reminding us that some of the great exhibitions of the late 19th and early 20th century displayed “villages” full of “imported” people from all over the world in the name of a science that later informed Hitler's final solution.' The Sunday Times
  
  'A disturbing yet fascinating documentary,' The Daily Telegraph
  
  'Fascinating,' Daily Mail
  
  'The story of these “zoos” and of Ota Benga... would have been enough to make a fascinating documentary. But the director Srik Narayanan chose instead to make a distinguished one by showing how hard it still is – thanks to the legacy of those early anthropologists, and their ideological fellow travellers, the eugenicists and the Nazis – to think straight about the issue of race. The modern anthropologists interviewed were reluctant even to concede that there were races. There is just diversity, said one. But is that, even now, what most people think?' Andrew Billen, The Times
  
  'Grimly revelatory stuff with a sting in its tail,' Phil Harrison, Time Out
  
  Watch excerpts here.
OCTOBER 2009 // Starting a big new project for Dragonfly
- Pre-production on the 'Plane Crash' project for Dragonfly/Channel 4/NGC/ProSieben/ITV Global.
  Read the press release here.
JULY 2009 // Back in London for post-production
- Completed principal photography in the US.
  Starting post-production in London.
MAY 2009 // Shooting a one-off film for Channel 4
- Starting pre-production on a one-off film for Diverse Productions/Channel 4.
APRIL 2009 // Finishing post-production in London
- In London finishing post-production - teasers available here.
MARCH 2009 // Shooting a drama in the Dominican Republic
- Completed principal photography in the Dominican Republic on a drama-doc for RAW TV/National Geographic.

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