Hollywood will come a bit closer to Dartmouth this year as Kamran Pasha - Dartmouth '93, Tuck '00 - begins production of his occult thriller "Silver Cord" which will be partially filmed in Hanover and may star Dartmouth students.
"We want Dartmouth students involved in all aspects," Pasha said.
Right now, Pasha is actively seeking the $1 million he needs to create his movie. He said he hopes that this film will be mostly funded by Dartmouth alumni who, he said, want Dartmouth students to succeed.
Already, students here are helping Pasha by giving him feedback on the screenplay. Eventually, students will be involved in website design, filming, lighting and acting.
For Pasha, the most exciting part of the "Silver Cord" project so far was when major Hollywood producer Elliot Schick saw an advertisement for the movie and contacted him.
With the assistance of Schick, Pasha is searching for at least one big-name actor who will draw large crowds to see the movie.
John Will '99 - who is consulting with Pasha about "Silver Cord" - said the movie is not going to be an artsy film that attracts small, specialized audiences.
Instead, he said it will play in normal movie theaters and draw the same types of crowds as recent teen horror films like "Scream" and "Urban Legend."
Pasha started writing his occult thriller about two months ago, but he came up with the idea together with his friend Ada Ojile when he was a still a student at Cornell Law School.
Pasha's screenplay tells the story of Alex McKay, a junior at Stratford University, who becomes interested in the occult after the death of his mother.
Raj, an Indian librarian, teaches him the art of astral projection, allowing Alex to witness several local murders.
Pasha said the story was inspired by one of his high school friends who told Pasha during his freshman year at Dartmouth that he could project his spirit into Pasha's Topliff room. Pasha said he always thought his friend's special ability would be an interesting subject for a story.
"It is bringing power back to the general populace," Will said.
He said normal people like Pasha are more in touch with what interests movie viewers than the clique-like Hollywood community that often create movies with cliched themes and story lines.
Daniel Kenney '00, who is helping to advise Pasha about "Silver Cord," said the movie is sure to succeed.
"I really loved it," he said. "What impressed me about it is that it tried to break with the slasher mentality. It wasn't just "I Know What You Did Last Summer" or "The Faculty." It tells a very interesting story - something we haven't seen yet."
He said the movie has to do with the occult, spirits and religion, all of which, he said, seem to be very popular currently.
"Basically, it's not just about some psycho in a ghost outfit," he said.
Bridget Nicholson '02, who has also been involved with advising Pasha, said the idea of astral projection was a new and interesting concept to her.
Kenney says "Silver Cord" will be popular with audiences because it appeals to intelligence and goes beyond where many recent teen horror films have gone.
He said he has read screenplays at various internships in the past, and he said Pasha's story is "much better" than others he has read.
All of Pasha's advisers are very positive about the general story line.
Nicholson said her only real criticism has been of the movie's "lingo."
"He's been a successful journalist and graduate student, but he's not up on the lingo of a 19-year-old female," she said. "Obviously his target audience is not going to be people his own age, it's going to be college kids."
Pasha said he is glad that he has been able to collaborate with Dartmouth students, and he looks forward to the future of the project.
"They have given very positive feedback," he said.
