Blinded by the Light
A comedic, joyous musical drama about the power of music to transcend race, class, and nationality and bind us all on a human level. Inspired by the life of journalist/writer Sarfraz Manzoor and his obsession with Bruce Springsteen.
1987, Margaret Thatcher’s England. Javed, a 16-year-old British Pakistani boy, lives in the town of Luton. His father’s recent job termination and the neighbourhood skinheads are a daily reminder of the difficult times he’s living in. What young Javed really wants is to be a writer – something his father doesn’t approve of or understand – and when a new friend loans him a few Bruce Springsteen cassettes, Javed is changed forever. The Boss’s working-class anthems and affirming lyrics seem to speak directly to Javed, emboldening him to find his own voice as a writer, stand up to the racism around him, and challenge his father’s rigid ideals.