It’s still not safe to venture out as the number of Covid-19 cases continue to spike, and the recommendation is to stay inside unless absolutely necessary. So what do you do while staying at home? Break out the popcorn. Here are some more things to watch on the web…

EPSTIEN: FILTHY RICH (2020), NETFLIX

The latest in Neflix’s true crime series, this four-part mini-series is on the life and crimes of convicted sex offender and somewhat elusive billionaire Jeffery Epstein. It’s based on a book by James Patterson, John Connolly and Tim Malloy. The film was announced prior to Epstein’s death-by-suicide in 2019. This is the first of a wave of Epstein films slated to hit the internet.

Epstein: Filthy Rich is an emotionally-difficult series to watch and can be triggering for some people. But as a profile of a narcissistic criminal and an unravelling of his crimes and the network that fed off him and enabled him, it’s both a fascinating and horrifying watch.

The series paints a vivid picture of a man who believed, through his connections with some of the most powerful people in the world, that he was above any accountability. A man who came from humble beginnings and through his charm and brilliance, essentially conned or blackmailed his way to the top.

In the absence of Epstein, whom we only see via photos and deposition tapes from an earlier case in which he consistently refuses to answer questions, this film prioritises giving a voice to his victims. The same victims who, due to Epstein’s connections and deals, were denied their day in court.

What is heart-warming to see are the people — those in law enforcement, lawyers, journalists etc — who, despite facing serious attempts to discourage or silence them, never gave up in their pursuit of Epstein. That’s the restoring-faith-in-humanity crowd in the series.

Icon’s recommendations on what to watch off the internet…

I’m recommending watching it because documentaries on similar high-profile cases where those with influence, position and power were able to target minors for years and get away with it, such as Surviving R Kelly (2019), At the Heart of Gold (2019) and the controversial Leaving Neverland (2019), are not available on streaming platforms in Pakistan. In a country where having conversations around these topics is often very difficult, watching a series like this might be easier.

But again, be warned, this is not for the faint-hearted. True crime series never are.

THE LOVEBIRDS (2020), NETFLIX

Homeboy from Karachi, Pakistan, Kumail Nanjiani features in this latest romantic comedy from Netflix! It’s exciting watching first generation desis from the homeland being featured in major productions abroad. Nanjiani has come a long way from his 2017 big release, The Big Sick, which was based on his own experience of meeting and falling in love with his wife, Emily Gordon. The Big Sick is available to view on Amazon Prime for those that missed it.

Three years later, the Nanjiani we see in The Lovebirds is transformed, physically at least. He’s due to be featured in the upcoming Marvel film, The Eternals, for which he’s had to get very ripped. Although he doesn’t take his shirt off in Lovebirds, you can see the difference in how he was before (relatable, desi version of a boy next door) and his buff new self (Hollywood’s version of the boy next door) now.

In The Lovebirds Nanjiani plays Jibran, a Pakistani-American, who’s just broken up with his girlfriend of four years, Leilani (played by Jo-Issa Rae Dio). At the same time, the two have unintentionally witnessed a murder which they believe they are being framed for. The film sees them get themselves in and out of trouble with the people and organisations that are actually involved, in a bid to find the murderer and clear their name. Of course, this presents them with an opportunity to figure out their relationship and work together as a couple.

The Lovebirds has been directed by Micheal Showalter (who also directed The Big Sick). The film has tons of more contemporary jokes — including one about a white woman calling the cops of people on colour — and although it’s predictable at times, it’s good for a one-time watch.

The only thing I’m missing is chemistry between the two leads — Jibran and Leilani — because there is none. They’re more like friends who are trying very hard to come across as a deeply-involved couple and failing miserably at it.

Watch it for the jokes and the laughs, not for the missing romance.

ZABARDAST (2018, YOUTUBE)

This awe-inspiring, breathtakingly beautiful documentary was filmed well before the Covid-19 pandemic — when we could still travel and come in contact with people without the risk of contracting or passing on a disease. With the lockdowns and social distancing measures we’re still required to follow, tourism in Pakistan came to a standstill just as the season to go to the mountains was starting.

After three months of being cooped up at home, Zabardast seems like the perfect film to watch to remind ourselves of the natural beauty that exists out there within reach, the joy of going on an adventure into the unknown, and what awaits us once we are through these difficult times, and it is safe to come in contact with people outside our immediate circle again.

Zabardast follows an expedition into the deepest reaches of the Karakoram range. A group of elite mountaineers and sportspersons and overall extreme thrill seekers complete a five-week-long, 150km-loop through the mountains — well beyond the point local guides and porters refuse to go — pulling their sleds full of food, solar panels and gear slowly over some of the largest glaciers and frozen, unforgiving terrain in the world… to search for the most beautiful mountains over 5,880m on the planet to ski on.

It sounds nuts, but here we are.

This multi award-winning documentary based in Pakistan is up on YouTube on the official Picture Organic Clothing channel. Zabardast has been directed by Jérôme Tanon (The Eternal Beauty of Snowboarding, also on YouTube), a high-altitude snowboarder and lensman and stars himself, along with his fellow adventurers Thomas Delfino (snowboarder), Leo Tailefer (skier and lensman), Zak Mills (snowboarder), Yannick Graziani (skier and mountaineer), and Hélias Millerioux, a French alpinist and mountain guide.

Throughout the film, they battle harsh unpredictable weather, failed attempts, the risk of fatal injury, death with each step they climb up the mountains, complete and utter isolation and their own demons. They are physically tested and their mental fortitude is pushed to its very limits.

The documentary shows them making their way through Pakistan to the giants in the North. We get a glimpse of local culture and the contrast in how these foreign adventurers are outfitted for the journey versus our local strongmen who make do with the bare basic. And the camaraderie that develops between all of them, so much so that seeing their local counterparts later in the film feels like they’re meeting members of their own tribe after a long, arduous journey. Which, technically it was, but it was also fun.

Prepare to be awed by the stunning vistas some of the remotest places in the North has to offer and the skillful photography that just brings it to life. The mountains are just as much characters in this film as are the humans — at times, you can even hear them. Whether through the wind, the avalanches or the crunch of the snow as our characters move forward (and of course, upward), the mountains in Zabardast speak.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 7th, 2020