BLINDED BY THE LIGHT tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra) a British teen of Pakistani descent, growing up in the town of Luton, England, in 1987. Amidst the racial and economic turmoil of the times, he writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father. But when a classmate introduces him to the music of “the Boss,” Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in Bruce Springsteen’s powerful lyrics. As Javed discovers a cathartic outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to find the courage to express himself in his own unique voice. Based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s acclaimed memoir Greetings from Bury Park, BLINDED BY THE LIGHT is a joyful story of courage, love, hope, family and the unique ability of music to lift the human spirit. A New Line Cinema film, Warner Bros. Pictures will release BLINDED BY THE LIGHT in theaters later this year.

Q&A with director Gurinder Chadha follows the screening