I returned to Pakistan after being away for 6 years. My relatives spoiled me and took me to places they usually wouldn't go themselves. We visited bazaars in the Old City, schools for underprivileged children, a church, a Shia mosque during Ashura, and of course the usual places, such as Badshahi Mosque, Shahalami Market and Wagah Border.

When I got back to America I realised I had lots of pictures, and I didn't know if I'd be able to share them all. I watched a video by Mike Matas, a former Apple user interface designer, which summarised his one week visit to Japan. I thought, Pakistan needs more representation like this! I combined all of my pictures and the turnout was better than even I expected.

Q: The film portrays a powerful story, how would you describe the film in words?

When I arrived in Pakistan last year, I was forbidden from visiting Lahore. There had been a few bomb blasts, a terrible outbreak of dengue fever, and long hot hours of load-shedding. But by October, the weather was constant at 70F degrees, the dengue epidemic had died down, and the city had been free from any serious violence for some time.

I witnessed and felt a vibrant city embracing life and met school children filled with hope for their country. Coming from an American background and an overdose of a single narrative western media, I was pleasantly surprised. I hope my delight can be conveyed in this video.

Nushmia Khan is a multimedia journalist based in Chicago, USA. She sent this submission to Hosh Media, a volunteer-based organisation that aims to bring youth voices on to mainstream media in Pakistan.