MOGUL MOWGLI is the debut narrative feature from award-winning documentary filmmaker Bassam Tariq.

It follows the story of a British Pakistani rapper (Riz Ahmed) who, on the cusp of his first world tour, is struck down by an illness that forces him to face his past, his family, and the uncertainty of his legacy.

Stay tuned after the screening for a Q&A with actor Riz Ahmed and director Bassam Tariq moderated by Richard Lawson for the Provincetown Film Festival.

(September 19 & 26)

Bassam Tariq, Director

Production Notes/Editor's Statement:

British star Riz Ahmed and American-Pakistani auteur Bassam Tariq had a mutual interest in the history and legacy of partition, the thoughts and feelings stemming from the splitting apart of India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947. At first, they explored the possibility of making a film located in Pakistan.

But the more they thought about it, the more they realized that they had another story to tell. "We realized that there was a more in-depth conversation that we were having with the diaspora and with our own experiences being here in the West," says Ahmed. "That felt more present to us."

"We got to draw on our personal experiences and those of people we know," adds Ahmed. "The arc of the central character, Zed, is going from being driven by ego and defining his self-worth from his work to realizing he is something other than his success or ambition. It's a journey towards self-love rather than running away from who you are or where you come from."

Played by Ahmed, Zed is a musician who wants to make music that everyone will remember, forever. "The film is not about cultural dichotomies, it's more about legacy and inheritance," explains Ahmed. "Zed wants to leave behind an artistic legacy, but he can't do that until he learns what he himself has inherited - both the trauma, and the gifts that make up who he is."

"So we created the concept together, and then wrote the screenplay together," says Ahmed. "It just wouldn't let go of me. It's about all the things I cared about."