This film is part of Free
The Hindoo's Treachery
In this action-packed tale from the days of the Raj, a British colonel’s daughter is abducted by brigands in the “Afridi hills”
Overview
This short adventure film tells the story of a woman’s kidnapping, and the bravery of British soldiers riding to her rescue. This damsel-in-distress plot is often associated with silent film, although women were often the heroes of action movies in this era. Exoticism is provided by the story’s setting, in the British Raj in India, with extravagantly garbed brigands and “shikari” guides in turbans and blackface makeup. In truth, these scenes were likely shot in the Surrey countryside.
Film company Cricks and Martin was founded in 1908 in Mitcham, Surrey. In 1910, the year this film was made, the firm moved to a larger studio in Croydon. Its founders, George Howard Cricks and John Howard Martin, boasted that their Lion’s Head Brand was a guarantee of films that would be both moral and patriotic: here the British soldiers easily outwit the villainous Indian brigands, for example. Of greater lasting interest is the fact that this film is very smartly shot with clever compositions that maximise the amount of action in each frame.
Related
On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.
Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.
All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.