We need another Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk

The news has been depressing lately  and I can understand why young idealists are reluctant to bring new lives into the turmoil of today.  One man is ignoring advice to perhaps avoid going to prison.  Another man is stirring up hatred to perhaps also avoid going to prison.  Still another man bent on restoring an Empire is killing thousands of people.  These three men are well supported and perhaps that is where my anguish should be directed, but if it weren't for the bad side of human nature the three monsters could not do their evil deeds.

Mankind has faced such egotistical evil before and survived and perhaps we will get through this.  My fear is that the current situation is different.  Those in power seemed entrenched with modern technology and their most likely successors seem ready to carry on the destructive path.  It would just take one person to push a button to obliterate us all.  Compounding the danger is nature which is fighting back a century or more of abuse, even while too many fight the remedy.  

In these moments of darkness there has been some light.  It is easy to admire Nelson Mandela who when given real power chose not revenge, but reconciliation.  The man who paved the way was F.W. de Klerk who is not often mentioned with Nelson Mandela, but perhaps was more critical for shifting power for the benefit of us all.

Frederik Willem de Klerk was an Afrikaner who grew up thinking apartheid was normal and to get into power actively supported it.  When finally he became the President of South Africa he started to break down the acceptance of segregation.  He stopped punishing apartheid protesters, even allowing anti-apartheid marches.  He freed Nelson and negotiated with him to dismantle the apartheid structure.  He presided over a new election that made Nelson the President and left himself as Deputy President. 

Nelson Mandela instead of seeking revenge against the oppressive whites, he sought ways to reconcile the races.  One method was to campaign for the 1995 Rugby World Cup.  Rugby was the favorite sport of whites (blacks were more interested in soccer).  The national team Springboks was a source of white national pride.  The Springboks adopted the slogan "One team one nation".

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up to allow grievances to be aired.  F.W. de Klerk was against this, thinking total amnesty would prevent inflaming violence.  The two men clashed over this and de Klerk eventually resigned.  There were of course many grievances and perhaps it could be debated, but certainly some aggrieved people felt listened to.  

F.W. de Klerk could have kept the apartheid course but somehow came to realize that it was not in the long term best interest of South Africa, or maybe he just realized the system was unjust.  Willing to give up power to make the necessary changes he worked to make a smooth transition.  A lot of people resented his decisions and South Africa has its share of struggles.  Nelson Mandela picked up the torch and thought how to bring South Africa into the new world.     

Giving up power willingly happens rarely.  A recent  encouraging example was Joe Biden deciding not to run for president again.  Part of him wanted to run, to get more things done, to prove he wasn't as useless as some implied.  It is also likely that some of those close to him tried to persuade him to step down and maybe threatened to publicize their efforts.  Still he had the right to run.   He is an intelligent man and had to acknowledge that it would be better for the country he loved to step aside and let someone with a better chance to carry on his fight. 

Arabs and Jews hate and fear each other.  I don't believe Russians hate Ukrainians, but one man's ego is forcing a war.  The United States still suffers from racial discrimination and some are using that to gain power.  There are good people who want changes for universal benefit, but they don't seem to have enough power.  

What can be done?  To be honest, not much.  My message will not reach much of an audience.  My hope is that at least some of you will as much as possible cut support for those with evil intentions.  Act kindly towards strangers and stop the spread of hate.  Hate spreads faster than love, but does not have a monopoly on how we communicate to and about other people.  If you have read this far, I already feel better.  Thank you for letting me vent.

Chances Are, You and I, a gem from the Philippines

 "Chances Are, You and I" (2024) has a lot of familiar sub plots, perhaps with a few twists.  Two young adults, Gabi and Sol meet, each with a brain tumor that threatens death.  One accepts the risks of surgery, while the other doesn't.  They each have a past that troubles them.  There is a need for ice breaking.  It will remind you of "The Fault Lies in Our Stars" (2014), but there are distinct differences.

One twist is that the male lead is fatalistic (not totally unique) and makes a practice of tossing dice for almost all decisions including some big ones.  Another  twist might be that they both have some sort of connection to Korea.   Of course there is romance and some difficult reconciliations.  What makes this worth while (assuming you like romance) is the writing (a little philosophy), the acting, music and the overall production.  There's more, but you deserve a few surprises.

For me this is an unusual  post.  I have no links for any of the cast or crew that made this memorable, but want to credit them with the expectation that I will meet up with them again.

Cathy Camarillo was director and executive producer.  She has 9 credits as director, 3 as writer and 20 credits as Assistant Director.  

Ellis Catrina, the daughter of Cathy Camarillo wrote the script and is the creative producer.  She has 2 credits for writing and producing.  

Aldrin B. Sereno wrote the background music.  He has 2 credits for composing.

Arvon Viola was the cinematographer.  He has 24 credits as cinematography and 7 for the camera and electrical department.

Ramil Pasbe was the editor.  He has 2 credits for editor and 1 visual effects.

Part of the filming was done in Korea where they were joined by 7 Koreans including Park Jansik who had done some production managing for "The Bourne Legacy" (2012)

Kira Balinger played the (mostly) optimistic Gabi.  She has 14 acting credits.

Kelvin Miranda played the (mostly) depressing Sol.  He is also known as a singer.  Kelvin has 40 acting credits.

Jin Ho Bae plays Sol's best friend who supports Gabi as well.  He is Korean and has lived in Philippines for about 15 years.  He has a degree in psychology and is also a popular singer.  JinHo has 4 acting credits.

Tart Carlos played nurse Bell who worked with both leads.  She has 53 acting credits.

Al Tantay played the head doctor and a substitute grandfather for Gabi.  Also known as a comedian Al has 132 acting credits, 15 as director and 8 as a writer.. 

 It may not be a film for everyone, but if you like romances and overcoming family conflicts you would find much to like.  It is one of my favorites for 2024.  Available with subtitles on Netflix.

The Choice

 A very momentous decision is about to be made.  The "Free world" could be led by an egotistical maniac with dictatorial tendencies.  Or the choice could involve someone who has a record of actually improving lives and thinks much deeper.  Or some might vote for a third party, but with the U.S. electoral system the way it is that would be counter productive.

An important element of the decision is that many people have a very distorted view.  

Going back a few years the Democrat, Barrack Obama took over a mess left by the Republican George Bush.  Almost right away he stopped the downward spiral and gradually turned the economy around and after eight years he handed over a growing economy to Donald Trump.  One of Trump's first priorities was to reduce taxes, particularly for the wealthy.  This helped pump a lot of money into the economy, but it also increased the deficit that Republicans declared would be covered by the improved economy (not so).  Another feature was that it increased inequality.  To better understand Republican priorities check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/05/monopolies.html

Things seemed to be okay while a few economic factors declined, but were easily overlooked.  When the Covid Pandemic started the Americans were unprepared (some Republican budget cuts didn't help).  Trump took over the government publicity.  He mocked a well respected expert, Dr. Fauci.  At one point it became a conservative thinking to resist the need for masking and vaccinations.  His actions likely caused a huge number of deaths and made the economy worse.

Beyond Trump's mishandling, the pandemic affected the entire world, rich and poor.  At one point it was necessary for governments to spend large amounts of money.  People were not spending money as jobs were scarce and supplies were difficult to find as many scooped up and hoarded what they could find.   Businesses were adjusting to new conditions and supply lines shriveled.  While Trump was still president inflation went down to less than 2% (because people were not buying), but quickly changed when large amounts of money was put into the economy.

When Biden took over more money was spent and a lot of energy applied to attracting jobs.  Consumers were ecstatic and started buying again.  Supply lines were still in recovery.  Another factor was climate change that affected food supplies (fires, floods or droughts) meaning some products were scarce.  Inflation was a result of money pumped in and supply chains being diminished.  People seemed to think Biden was the cause of the misery of high inflation.  Granted prices are difficult compared to five years ago, but the question should be, who is to blame?  Who offers the better solution?

They seem to think Trump's economy was better, but was it?  Biden's economy has outperformed all other wealthy nations that had undergone the same  pandemic.  But Americans have a tendency to think only of themselves.

Trump didn't just damage the economy, some of his other moves also had long term consequences.

The International Climate Agreement was abandoned.  The Republican conservatives (note those with vested interest) mocked climate change.  It is hard to understand how urgent, but the evidence is mounting and still there is resistance.  The United States is the natural leader, but those in control are protecting their selfish interests.  What are the consequences of not effectively dealing with climate change?

The Iran Agreement had been negotiated by Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.  Basically it was to force Iran from advancing to a nuclear weapon.  At the time Iran had maintained all its requirements.  It seems likely first that Trump was pressured by conservatives who detested Iran, but also by  Israel who wanted it broken.  Another perspective on Iran:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/the-iranian-dilemma.html

Was an opportunity to steer Iran in our direction missed?  The consequences have been disastrous.  Iran has gravitated to the orbit of Russia and stirring up trouble in the Mid-East.

The Israel connection was strengthened.  Trump's first foreign visit was to Saudi Arabia, but partly the aim was to get a business deal for Israel.  They moved their embassy to Jerusalem.  These moves were without consulting Palestine.  There was already a lot of resentment.  Did Trump's decisions increase or decrease that resentment?  Netanyahu seems to feel if Trump wins in November he can continue his war against Hamas.  Trump has some strong hints he supports Netanyahu.  Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/07/crisis-of-zionism-book-review.html

Immigration is a concern.   Ironically America NEEDS immigrants, both to do the grubby work, care for an aging population, but also to innovate for the future.  Educated Europeans are not as anxious as they once were.  They already have less inequality.  A bi-partisan solution favored by border guards was blocked by Trump who felt he wanted the issue to campaign on.  Does racism play a role in anti immigration rhetoric?  Businesses love cheap labor.   

Trump admires Putin, or maybe he has personal reasons for supporting his interests.  He claims he could end the conflict very quickly.  It is speculated that he would make land adjustments based on military positions.  We can't be sure what he would really do, but we do know he has been behind Congressional delays in funding Ukraine's battle against an imperialist enemy. 

Any one is entitled to make a mistake, but perhaps some voters have been mesmerized by style.  Exaggeration, blaming, mocking non supporters are not the marks of  a leader.  Lying should be unacceptable.  Inciting an insurrection is grounds for prison.

That is all on the one hand.

Joe Biden may have appeared under the weather in a critical debate and long term his age is a legitimate concern.  But he made good choices, perhaps with the help of well chosen staff.  Not sure of his motivations under pressure, but he made a choice for the betterment of America.

Kamala Harris has a sterling record of getting results that improved lives of people.  I suspect her plans are more progressive than conservatives would like, but the U.S. has a long way to catch up to what needs to be done. The Republicans in general are still resistant, even mocking efforts to fighting climate change.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/09/kamala-harris-truths-we-hold.html 

 The choice seems a no brainer.   But maybe we will come to better appreciate their educational system.

 In June 2016 I suggested the election was an IQ test; http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/06/the-american-iq-test.html

Questioning, a much under used tool

Leaders are supposed to have the answers.  Some feel admitting they don't have all the answers is a sign of weakness.  "Leading with Questions" is aimed at business situations, but contains much advice that would benefit personal relations. 

We all asked a lot of questions as children.  Something happened to many of us as we grew up.  Authority figures such as parents, teachers, bosses mostly told us what to do and we went along.   

Stephen Covey in his famous book made his fifth habit of Highly Effective People: "Seek first to understand and then to be understood". Questioning is a tool to help understand situations and people.

Questioning needs to induce co-operation.  When a problem is encountered it is important to understand first, before jumping to conclusions or blaming anyone.  Make it a conversation not an interrogation.

Trust and openness are required.  Questions can be one way of building trust.  Employees have become used to doing what they are told unquestionably, but would sometimes like to be asked their opinion.

Timing can be critical.  A good ice breaking question might be "Is this a good time to talk?"  Avoid busy or stressful times.  Some people might feel uncomfortable answering questions with other people present.

"Yes or no questions are sometimes necessary, but open ended questions allow a wider range of possibilities.  Every great invention started from a question.

 From Peter Drucker we learn it is important "to hear what isn't being said" and "the most common mistake in solving problems was the emphasis leaders put on finding the right answer rather than the right question".

 While you are trying to understand others you should also question yourself.  Are you sure?

One last quote, this one from Nguib Mahfouz, a Nobel Prize winning author: "You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers.  However you can tell whether a man is wise by his questions".

 There are other good books on questioning.  This one has good advice on how to make more effective questions in a wide variety of circumstances and examples of questions, some of which might help you to open a few doors.

For the "to be understood" part check this out http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/06/tell-to-win-offers-winning-formula.htm

"Hotline" a Canada Reads Nomination

 Canada Reads is an enjoyable CBC program that once a year draws attention to some of the best Canadian books.  In 2023 I already posted about the winner, but more recently checked out another of the nominations and was pleasantly surprised.

There often is curiosity about where and how an author gets inspired to write a novel.  Dimitri Nasrallah had already written a few books and received some literary awards.  An idea he had considered for years was about his mother.  She had come to Montreal as an immigrant who overcame common obstacles for newcomers.

At the same time Dimitri was part of that experience, but admits he didn't really appreciate his mother's perspective.  The actual details can only be guessed, but Dimitri often found himself alone while his mother tried to deal with many difficulties.  Getting inside her head was a challenge and a reader can't be certain how close he came, but  it is believable.  There is a lot of psychology as his mother ended up being a sales consultant dealing with a lot of unhappy people.

A key part of any immigrant story is where they came from.  Muna Hedad came from Lebanon during a civil war during which her son Omar was born.  In the book she is widowed, although her husband's death (after a kidnapping) was not concluded.  She had been trained to be a French teacher and it was suggested her skills would fit well in Quebec.  As it turned out (in reality) they were not looking for foreigners to teach French in Quebec.  What to do?  As many newcomers learn their foreign credentials do not pay the bills so you need to find an alternative.

The alternative in her case was to become a sales consultant for a diet program.  The company did ads offering a solution to dietary problems with a hotline number.  At that point trained consultants would listen to the problems and steer the callers to a diet program.  Unhappy marriages or those unable to marry steered many to comfort food and then weight problems.  There was a high turnover of trainees, but Muna (who called herself Mona for a her sales persona) was very good at listening to sad stories that drove people to bad diet habits.  Most readers will soon see this as a scam, but many callers felt better understood and followed the program of buying packaged food and even lost weight.

Her relationship with her son is awkward.  She is very concerned about him and early on was worried that he didn't fit in.  Some of her efforts resulted in Omar befriending another newcomer, a Chinese boy named Chang.  One thing leads to another and Chang's mother, another overqualified immigrant has problems learning French and convinces Muna to give French lessons to a group of Chinese immigrants which turns out not only a significant source of money but also a boost to her sense of purpose.

She is offered a promotion with the company and is able to move into a new better apartment and spend more time with her son.  The process is not unusual, but is painfully gradual.

The book was published in English, but we are to assume that most of the actual dialogue was in French.   There are a few Arabic words.  One that got my attention was "habibi".  At one time trying to sell ads I encountered an Arabic speaking fast food owner who wanted to change the name of his business to "Habibi" because he said it meant "Sweetheart", but in this story it was used as a frequent endearment for Munu's son.  

Dimitri gifted this book to his mother who apparently commented that it was easier to read than his previous books which seemed to have been written by an "angry young man".  In an earlier book that he won an award for he delved into the background of power brokers in the Middle East. 

Quebec is a unique part of Canada.  There are many who feel their French culture is under assault.  At the same time immigrants are arriving and trying to fit in.  This book reflects some of the tension, but as an outsider it seems the situation is progressing.  When I say it is unique I mean it in a positive sense, one of my favorite places to visit.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/07/travels-of-salesman-part-3-quebec.html

My wife had persuaded me to attend a Toronto Blue Jays game so we could get a giveaway.  From previous experiences the process can be tiring and boring.  Read a book was suggested and I thought "Hotline" might fit the bill.  It eased the two plus hours of agony, mostly standing up.  Hopefully you will get a chance to read it in a more relaxed circumstances.  

You can read about the actual winner of the 2023 Canada Reads contest:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/09/ducks-my-first-graphic-novel.html

2024 Paralympics

What is the appeal of the Paralympics?  It certainly captures attention every two years (counting the winter Paralympics).  All sports is entertainment.  We admire skills and  love the drama of competition.  The Paralympics offers that and more.  Glad to see some realize it is well worth promoting.

The athletes are inspiring not only for those with similar afflictions, but also for the rest of us to appreciate our own good fortune.  One simple example was explained in a running race where the contestants had one arm that had been amputated or otherwise defective.  They all had balancing and co-ordinating problems, something most of us don't think of. 

Fans could get very excited when their team won.  The French had the hometown advantage.  

Classification is detailed to ensure fair competition.  To ensure fair competition some sports have set up weight divisions as it is no fun to watch a 250 pound man beat a 110 pounder.  A few years ago I watched a game in a new professional basketball league that required a team to maintain an average height.  And of course we have separated the sexes.  Competition is most enjoyable when opposing sides are fair.

My 1st acquaintance with Paralympics was back in 1976 when Etobicoke hosted the Paralympics as Montreal had hosted the Olympics, but didn't want to be bothered with another lesser event.  I was able to get a press pass and watch some of the events.  Not nearly as grandiose as the 2024 version, but  I will never forget watching Arnie Boldt set a record for an amputee high jump (i.e. with only one leg).  I was actually there to watch  wheelchair basketball.  At that time Israel was a dominant team for two reasons:  wars had created a lot of amputees and secondly the government wanted to support these casualties and wheelchair basketball was seen as a useful tool. 

China once claimed they had no defective people and declined to participate.  However in their desire to host the Olympics they got tied into the Paralympics.  Since hosting their own Paralympics they have come to dominate.  

Some things I found fascinating for the 2024 Paralympics.

 Runners with guides.  The guide has to be at least as fast as the contestant, but has to restrain from dragging or diverting the runner.  Trust (and practice)is essential.

Some team sports allowing greater participation that were fun to watch included sitting volleyball (never saw the 8'2" Iranian), blind football (soccer) and wheelchair basketball . 

Sheetal Devi, an armless archer from India demonstrated using her feet she could hit a bullseye.  Another armless woman, Sumeyye Boyaci, a swimmer from Turkey showed she could win against lesser handicapped women. 

Nicholas Bennett provided a highlight.  When he turned for the last 50 meters of the 100 breaststroke he was third and I thought he might accept that, but he didn't.  He dug down and and won.  A good choice for flag bearer

Political interests did play a role.   A Palestinian commentator pointed out when he was younger there were not a lot of handicapped people in his area, but with Gaza having erupted there will be many more.  There were athletes congregated representing refugees and they won some medals.  Another group represented athletes from countries barred, but if agreed to no presence in the marching parades, no national anthems they could participate.  This last group was not as noticeable in other Olympics and Paralympics, but did win a few medals.  Another group did receive extra attention was Ukrainian who got loud chairs as they marched in during the Opening Ceremony.

Paris has always been touted for romance and artistic pursuits and they lived up to their reputation.  They had a lot of historical buildings, but also some impressive modern structures. 

Both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies put on a mesmerizing show.  Choreography may have seem to be restricted, but actually a clever use of canes and wheelchair added excitement.  An old voice got my attention as favorite Charles Aznavour was heard on tape.  Live was Lucky Love who is a popular singer who has only part of one arm.  I loved the background of piano and cello music.

In a previous blog "Chandu Champion" I avoided the movie ending to encourage people to watch it.  The truth revealed in the movie is the medal that was hidden was for the 1972 Paralympics.  Furthermore during the credits the real Murlikant Petkar is shown and more of a description. of winning a gold medal at the Paralympics.  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/08/chandu-champion.html

One does not wish more handicaps on humanity, but one positive thing is recognition that everyone has abilities and is entitled to enjoy life as much as possible. 

Read about the 2024 Olympics http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/08/olympics-2024.html

Read about the 2022 Winter Paralympics and Putin's timing for invading Ukraine http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/03/2022-beijing-paralympics.html

 Check the 2020 Paralympics  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/09/2020-paralympics.html

Kamala Harris The Truths We Hold

 I read "The Truths We Hold" over the time of Kamala Harris' first official interview as the Democratic presidential candidate.  After the interview one of the criticisms concerned that she "kept" her same values implying that she has flip flopped and can't  be trusted.  In reality she is a politician who has realized although still striving for ideals has to get power in order to make progress.  Her ideals are well worth supporting.    

This book was published prior to her taking part in the Democratic primary for the 2020 election.  A lot of interesting things have happened since, but the reader will appreciate how she has fitted in.

She feels that solving problems requires getting to the roots.  Learning that 80% of California prisoners failed to complete high school she delved further realized that most had truancy habits in the elementary grades.  Up until about grade 3 the focus was to learn to read and then to read to learn.  Truancy had many causes, but bottom line poverty was a major factor.  The solutions revolve around improving child support in their formative years.  

 I have been a big fan of hers for over four years, but have been mostly mispronouncing her name.  Easy to remember "comma la".

I admired her for some spoken words of hers that seemed more to the point than others.  Reading this book helps to understand what she has been through and what she is striving towards.  She tackled a wide range of problems with tenacity.

Sex crimes were an early responsibility as Attorney General.  She was concerned about abused wives, women forced into prostitution as well as rape.  She was criticized for putting so many young black men in jail.  This helped draw attention to bail laws which make it difficult for poor people to get out of jail to defend themselves and take care of family obligations.  More criticism resulted.

She worked with Beau Biden on major assault of banking mortgage abuses.   She was able to stand up to wealthy bankers who had been taking advantages of consumers, especially poorer ones.  The positive relation with Beau Biden was noted by his father Joe Biden.

She also dealt justice to fraudsters (like Mr. Trump).  Always on the alert to protect consumers that were too often seen as prey by some wealthy people. 

California as a border state was a major target for drug traffickers.  She developed contacts in Mexico  and found ways to curb the traffic.

Same sex marriage  was legalized in California, but then revoked and then renewed.  Kamala fought for the legality.  She performed a ceremony in 2013.

Doug Emhoff entered Kamala's life though a friend who encouraged a blind date.   He had two children and an ex wife and Kamala was more than accepted by all.  She noted discreetly that a single woman in politics had to be careful as critics were on the prowl.  She married Doug and he has proved to be a very supportive partner. 

Kamala noted that Russia finds racism together with LGBTQ and immigration issues are American weaknesses that they are able to exploit.  Divisive politics are hurtful for all Americans.

The upcoming debate between Trump and Harris will show how she deals with unreasonable criticism which so far has been very good. 

IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack

"IC 814:  The Kandahar Hijack" (2024) is a film series depicting a real hijack in 1999 just over the Christmas week.  The film makers did their best to maintain historical accuracy.  Several components took part, the hijackers, the airplane staff and passengers, military personnel, politicians and journalism.  The story starts in Nepal and travels to India, Pakistan, Dubai and Afghanistan.  Negotiations are very difficult, partly because they had no real experience and little leverage.

 There are threats and violence.  The pilot and his assistants are confronted with guns and the threat of a bomb.  The captain is only able to convince them they do not have enough fuel to get to Kandahar and directs to refueling efforts.  Indian authorities plan a counter attack, but the timing is messed up.  

Intelligence is first blamed for not picking up some obvious information.  Before too long the politicians at various levels are discussing and trying to minimize blame.  There is no easy solution.   The ordeal stretches over 7 days.  The passengers are constantly stressed.  The toilet cannot handle the increased load which might seem trivial, but the passengers didn't think so.

There is no secret.  In the end three terrorists were released and went on to enact other acts of violence.  The Taliban consolidated their power.  A change in government.  Security arrangements have been enacted that affect millions of airline passengers every day.  Understanding what happened

The impact of this film comes from the cast and crew.

Anubhav Sinha created the idea, directed, wrote most of the script and was a co-producer.  He has 15 credits for directing, 13 for writing and 12 for producing including "Tum Bin...Love will Find  Way" (2001), "Article 15" (2019), "Thappad" (2020) and  "Anek" (2022).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html. 

Richard Harvey wrote much of the music.  In 1972, when only 18 graduated from the Royal College of Music.  He is noted for the wide range of musical instruments he can perform on, well over 600.   He has 93 credits for composing, 53 for the music department and 47 for sound track including "The Lion King" (1994), "The Da Vinci Code" (2006), "Interstellar" (2014) and "Little Prince" (2015).

Ewan Mulligan was one of two cinematographers.  He has 49 credits for cinematography and 14 for camera and electrical department including  "Article 15" (2019), "Anek" (2022) and "Kaali Paani" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/10/kaali-paani.html  

Mukesh Chhabra was in charge of casting.  This film required cast to include many non speaking roles such as terrified passengers, airplane staff and crowds trying to impact politicians.  After studying acting he spent over six years teaching and acting.  He is noted for bringing such faces as Rajkummar Rao, Sushant Singh Rajpt, Mrunal Thakur, Prateik Gandhi, Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Shaikh to the screen.  He has 227 credits for casting (+ 29 for the casting department and 29 for acting) including "Amal" (2007), "Kai Che Po" (20130, "Wrong Side Raju" (2016), "Mom" (2017), "Sacred Games" (2018-19), "Sanju" (2018), "Notebook" (2019), "The Family Man" (2019), "Dil Bechara" (2020), "Laal Singh Chaddha" (2022), "Jaane Jaan" (2023), "Dunki" (2023) and "Amar Singh Chamkila.  For a film where Mukesh had a lasting impression check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/05/kai-che-po.html

Naseeruddin Shah played a political role.  He has 257 acting credits and 6 for the music department including.  He once formed a traveling theatre group and has done a Hollywood movie.  His films include "Hey Ram" (2000), "Monsoon Wedding" (2001), "Maqbool" (2004), "Omkara" (2006),  "Amal" (2007) and "Gehraiyaan" (2022).

 Pankag Kupur  played another politician.  He has 74 acting credits and 3 for directing including "Gandhi" (1982), "Roja" (1992) and "Jersey" (2022).  In the English international version of "Gandhi" Pankag played Gandhi;s secretary, but inthe Hindi version he dubbed for Ben Kingsley.

Arvind Swamy played another politician (there was a lot of conflict and hesitation).  After an education in India he went to Wake Forest University in North Carolina for a Master degree in internatonal business which he was active in overlapping with his film career.   He had a serious injury and took years off from acting, coming back in 2013.  He has been a playback singer and a dubber (in Tamil).   Arvind has 34 acting credits including "Roja" (1992), "Bombay" (1995) and "Kadal" (2013).  That last one has a song by A.R. Rahman that is number one in my collection.

Vijay Verma played the pilot.  He has 32 acting credits including "Gully Boy" (2019), "She" (2020) and "Jaane Jaan" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/10/jaane-jaan-from-devotion-of-suspect-x.html

Dia Mirza played Shalini, an editor  in conflict with an ambitious journalist.  Her father was German and her mother Bangali.  A model and a beauty queen winner.  She has 60 film credits including "Parineeta" (2005), "Hum Tum aur Ghost" (2010), "Sanju" (2018), "Move to Heaven" (2019) and "Thappad" (2020).  See and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/05/thappad-or-in-english-slap.html

Anupam Tripathi played a RAW agent in Kathmandu.  Born in India and took part in some theatre plays, but then went to Korea to study acting.  In two years he became fluent in Korean.  He has 17 acting credits including "Squid Game" (2021) and "King the Land" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/10/squid-game.html

It will give you a feel for how hijackings work and the behind the scenes activities.  None are the same, but unless you have been involved directly we cannot really appreciate the dynamics.  Available on Netflix with subtitles. 

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.