January 4, 2004

An Oscar nominated film, accompanied by its producers and director, brilliant short films made by young folks locally, and documentaries on issues ranging from Afghan refugees in Karachi to the turtle beaches of Kerala, along with a truly eclectic primetime line-up of shows made the third KaraFilm Festival a mixed bag of delightful and often enchanting goodies.

The highlight of this year’s ten-day long festival were the documentaries. Most related to the subcontinent, covering issues concerning people in Pakistan and India, apparently chosen on the basis of their appeal to the common lot in both countries.

Latoo, a documentary on the state of dance in Pakistan, spoke about the vulgarization of the art form in the country over the years. It highlighted the banning of classical forms of dance, whilst the pelvic thrusting Lollywood moves thrived, as did closed doors mujras, thus creating a warped perception of what was once a celebrated art. Rarely screened footage and a comprehensive coverage of the issue characterized Latoo.
 

Based in the period before the 1971 separation of East Pakistan, ‘Matir Moina,’ a Bengali film, manages to be non-judgmental in all its aspects and doesn’t cater to stereotypes, thus making it a joy to watch. The most striking aspect of the movie was the singing and storytelling troupes that were shown frequently in the background. It drew a mixed reaction from the audience who didn’t know whether to appreciate or condemn a film from the ‘other side’
 

Based on the coastal stretch of Kerala, India, Aamakaar was the story of a community known as ‘the turtle people.’ These people are trying to save an almost extinct species of turtle, all the while struggling to save their own homes from quite literally slipping away from under their feet. A brilliantly made documentary, it spoke clearly about how there are mafias everywhere, yet also made the point of how a small band of determined people could put aside the bad hand being dealt to them and work for the common good.

Visiting from India was director Anand Patwardhan of award winning documentary War and Peace. Filmed in the three years after 1998, when the nuclear race entered a volatile stretch between Pakistan and India, this was a documentary that highlighted the incredible follies and illusions man is prone to. It also highlighted, in a subtle manner, the endurance and tolerance that humans show in the most trying of times. Another documentary by Patwardhan was In the Name of God, which traced the momentum that was built towards the destruction of the Babri Masjid. A well-made documentary, it showcased, in the form of illiterate villagers from Ayodhya calling for peace, the good that man is capable of, irrespective of his education, exposure or caste. And, of course, it also illustrated how fanatics on the other side of the fence are just as rabid and susceptible to hate as ours are.

An amusing documentary, Majma was a film based on male potency issues in middle class India. A ribald, amusing and informative account of the shifty sellers of fertility solutions, the naive people who buy them and the badly informed characters who propound them, Majma covered everything from the common perception of masculinity and the taboos that are attached to a man considered impotent.

Terror’s Children by Sharmeen Obaid has been making waves in the international arena for the last few months; it isn’t quite everyday that a documentary on Afghan refugees in Karachi is made by a young Pakistani woman. Made mainly for an American audience, the documentary occasionally panders to western whims with stereotyped and done-to-death shots of young boys in madrassas rocking back and forth with crazed expressions on their faces. The film was otherwise very well made and covered the state of Afghan refugees in a comprehensive manner. Brilliant camera work guaranteed that nobody went home unaffected. From shots of a young boy reciting surahs by his brother’s grave to those of a little Afghan girl grinning into the camera while her father explained she would have to get married eventually, to scenes where Afghan madrassa students are eating hard bread and being attacked by mosquitoes, Terror’s Children was outstanding, save for the fact that there appeared too much of the director everywhere. Obaid was in almost every other shot, as well as narrating the documentary. While this may be put down to a certain stylistic form of documentary, it was a bit jarring on the nerves.

Search for Freedom by Munizae Jahangir was based on four Afghan women — different in their backgrounds and callings in life but immersed in deep sadness and love for their war-torn country. Jahangir has recounted the history of Afghanistan with the stories of these womenn’s lives, this documentary being part of her Master’s thesis. One is an aging princess, then there is the first female singer on Radio Afghanistan, a beautiful war widow and one charming medical student, Sohaila — all bonded with a longing for peace. Talented and articulate in her expression, Munizae is someone to look out for.

The breakdown of civil society in Pakistan was underlined prominently at Kara. The People Vs Lyari Expressway, written and directed by Maheen Zia, was a kaleidoscope of the injustice dealt out to people who have little say. Based on the Lyari Expressway, which the film-makers say is the largest demolition project for the purpose of road building in the world, this documentary emphasized the hardships the people of Karachi’s oldest and one of its poorest neighbourhoods are experiencing. The question and answer session following the screening had a member of the audience pointing out that the documentary did not give the other side of this story — the governmentt’s point of view.

Another similar feature that deserves kudos was Doobti Jheelain by Amar Mehmood Tipu. It pointed out how the ecologically diverse, not to mention beautiful, Makhi area of Sanghar in Sindh was being threatened by the Chotiari Reservoir Project, which may at full supply inundate more than 40 villages and displace all the inhabitants of the area.

The general regression of mindsets was showcased in Da Zhowand Mairman, a documentary that revolves around the tribal custom of swara, where, in a dispute, the girls of erring families are given into marriage to the victim’s family. This is a peacemaking measure, but what it does to the girl in question is a matter altogether unrelated to peace. Stigmatized by the community all through her life and facing all kinds of torture in the home where she is hated as the enemy’s daughter, it is a story brilliantly told. The tile means A Bridge Over Troubled Waters in Pashto.

Bowling for Columbine, by notorious director Michael Moore, was played twice, both times to packed houses. A no-holds-barred, almost comical look at the state of the United States of America, this mind-blowing documentary was like preaching to the converted in this part of the world.

Visiting from Bangladesh were producer and director of Matir Moina (The Clay Bird), Catherine and Tareque Masud. Based in the period before the 1971 separation of this nation’s eastern wing and the creation of Bangladesh, this was a story of a young Bengali boy in East Pakistan, whose increasingly religious-minded father sends him off to a madrassa. The entire situation, the personal as well as the surrounding, is seen through the young boy’s eyes. Thus, his sister’s death due to the father’s stubbornness to get a female doctor, the madrassa routine, the building up of nationalist feeling amongst the Bengalis, his mother’s unhappiness at how her life unfolds and the final scenes where civilians are attacked by their own, all retain the innocence that only a young child can feel. While not shying away from facts, this movie manages to be non-judgmental in all its aspects and doesn’t cater to stereotypes, thus making it a joy to watch. The most striking aspect of the movie was the singing and storytelling troupes that were shown frequently in the background. A lovely film, Matir Moina drew a mixed reaction from the audience who didn’t know whether to appreciate or condemn a film from the ‘other side.’

The film-makers handled all audience queries and comments graciously.

Another highlight of Kara was the screening of Zinda Lash, a horror movie made in the 1960s and forgotten soon after. Recently recovered and restored by film critic Omar A. Khan, the movie was incredible in the eeriness it maintained throughout, as well as in the flawlessness of quality — hats off to the restorers. A few hundred times better than the current Lollywood offerings, Zinda Lash speaks volumes for the professionalism and talent that was an integral part of the Pakistani film industry a few decades ago. This is a film that needs to be seen by all horror film fans.

A deep undercurrent of fear ran throughout Doctor, a short feature based on the sectarian killings of doctors in Karachi. It showcased the terror a certain sect’s medical community lived in. Relying heavily on symbolism, this film was carried by the above average acting skills the main protagonist and his wife portrayed.

The KaraFilm fest also featured ‘short shorts’ from around the world. This is a genre not very common to Pakistani audiences, as there are few, if any options, where they can be shown. This year’s highlights were Hasan Zaidi’s Just Talk and Mahera Omar’s The Piano. Zaidi’s short had a brilliant script and a skillful carrying out of the same by model Vaneeza Ahmed talking — almost nonstop. The Piano was based on an instrument at the director’s home that she says has been there for many years. Everyone from the watchman to her brother and the cat are seen playing with it or talking to the camera about it. Other notable shorts were Room 708 by Syed Ali Nasir and those based on poems — Picassoesque, Lonely Boy and For You. Different techniques of animation and illustration were used to bring out the essence of the poems they were based on.

Overall, the third KaraFilm Festival was an overwhelming success in terms of content. However, few endeavours survive in the spirit they start off with these days. This year’s Kara, though, was not up to the standard that the last two Kara’s had set. Although crowds thronged the night shows with a vengeance and a substantial number of people were seen in the day too, the third Kara was a letdown in terms of organization, if compared to its own previous performance.

Nowhere to be seen at this year’s festival was the schedule being adhered to faithfully, the highpoint of the earlier two festivals. From 15-minute delays that spilt over and caused other films to start late, to the surprise screening of a short due to the scheduled documentary having being delayed in customs, this year’s co-ordination was just a little off.

Another baffling aspect was the lumping of all day shows into a hundred rupee day pass. A complete variation from the past pleasure of being able to buy a 30 or 40 rupee pass for a particular show, this new method of pricing show passes had many people grumbling. This could in turn cause the wonderful treat that Kara is, into yet another hobnobbing affair for the wanting-to-be-seen, thus doing away with the diverse mix of people who come to see the movies. And that would be a tragedy, because a festival as great as this is something that everyone who wants to experience, should be able to do so. A suggestion to the organizers is that next year, they should have a few screenings free so that people from all walks of life can enjoy the great presentations.

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