The Madman

Two men find themselves in a tense standoff on a packed commuter train in 1970s Jaipur, India.
While the railways had been vital arteries of the nation since the 1890s, those engines were slowly falling into disrepair. In just under a year, the Bangladesh War for Independence would
begin, and as one historian put it:
“A journey on the rails of Bengol in 1971 was often a
melancholy affair. This was the period of the Bangladeshi War
of Independence; and the crowds of people at the stations were
not passengers, but homeless refugees."

With the war itself mere months away, the tension and uncertainty that preceded it hover over our train like a fog as two strangers come face to face with the volatility of human nature and the limits of their own empathy.

Based on a story by the late Douglas Adams, “The Madman” will challenge you to answer the question:
“Is it everyone else who’s lost their mind, or is it me?”

  • David Harris
    Director
  • David Harris
    Writer
  • David Harris
    Producer
  • Aiden Brady
    Key Cast
    "Matias (2024)"
  • Seth Miller
    Key Cast
    "Matias (1970)"
  • Shahzad Farahani
    Key Cast
    "Farad"
  • Searra Sawka
    Key Cast
    "Laura"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 25, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    70,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - David Harris

We’re all born dreamers- spinning and tumbling with our heads full of madcap capers and daring heists, escapes and adventures. As a child of the 80s David idolized the stories and the storytellers of the era: from “Blade Runner” and “Brazil” to “Ran” and “Raising Arizona”

David began his career at 18 as a Painter and Visual Artist before leaving the East coast to attend the University of New Mexico as an Illustrator. After an excruciatingly uneventful semester at the easel, a handful of theater classes rekindled his boyhood love of drama and storytelling, prompting a change of major— to film.

An eventual return to New York brought the opportunity to write professionally for magazines while honing his visual aesthetic while rising through the G&E department within the Film & Television industry- “painting with light” as it were.

Now, after 20+ years of lighting film projects big and small, David makes his debut as a writer/director; and could not be more proud of his team and the work they’ve done on this film.

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