Nabhaan Rizwan, Amir El-Masry, Rory Fleck Byrne
Twentysomething Aden (Nabhaan Rizwan – 1917, HBO’s Station Eleven) dreams of becoming a successful actor, but the nightmarish grind of the audition circuit, with its callous rejections and upsetting micro-aggressions, is starting to take a toll. His flatmate, junior doctor Bo (Rory Fleck Byrne) is also stressed to the point of burnout. But then, newcomer Conrad (Amir El-Masry) joins them, and – inspired by Conrad’s optimism and assurance – Aden takes it upon himself to find a new part to play.
Full of pointed notes about an industry rife with prejudice and hypocrisy, In Camera deploys elements of surrealism and fantasy to trace how its young British-Asian protagonist’s sense of self is affected by the tokenism of a world he hopes to conquer. Candid and acidly funny, with an unsettling eye for the warped and bizarre, it’s a playful, stylish satire not just of showbiz but also the myriad absurdities of modern life, with a complex, supple central performance from rising star Rizwan.