Written by: Hamad Ali
Posted on: April 10, 2019 | 
| 中文
Established in 2014, the Aks International Minorities Festival was started by a group of activists keen on increasing the representation of minorities in mass media and politics. The fifth edition of the Aks Festival was held at The Second Floor (T2F), Karachi on the 6th and 7th of April, 2019. The festival had a series of plays, panel discussions, workshops, and debates; but the most significant were the film screenings that spanned across the two-day event, and discussed important issues of the lives of religious, ethnic, and sexual/gender minorities, as well as their representation. The event was inclusive, not only in terms of people but also languages. It was inaugurated by Kami Sid in English, Sid Qureshi in Urdu, and Bebo in Sindhi, so that the audience, which belonged to a diverse socio-economic group, could understand the premise of the festival and participate accordingly.
The festival reminds me of Bell Hooks seminal essay, “The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators,” where she states that there is a power in our gaze. As a black child, she was punished for staring, because certain looks were confrontational or challenged the authority, and she mentions how white slave owners punished black people just for their gaze. The attempts to stop black people from looking produced an oppositional gaze, and an overwhelming longing or a rebellious desire to look. The “gaze” has been and is a site of resistance for colonized black people globally, and acquiring it renders one in a position of power. Similarly, when the trans-community watched the films screened at Aks, they acquired a dominant gaze. They viewed films that had no mainstream tropes and often included positive trans-representation, which in turn gave them the power to view, feel imagined and validated.
A Meeting with Noor Jehan, directed by Mariam Abdul Majid, was an abstract film left open to different interpretations. It follows the story of a homeless kid who sells balloons for a living, and is mesmerized by the beauty of the Punjabi film actress Saima. There were a few shots where the child, Ben, was shown in conversation with pictures of Saima. An exchange of gazes brought about queer possibilities within the film, and when Ben bumps into the sex worker, Noor Jehan, who uncannily resembles Saima, the film reaches its crux.
Qabar-e-Padar, written and directed by Ali Mehdi, was a story about a Pashtun orphan and his relationship with his dead father. Through a series of flashbacks, the child is shown as reminiscing about old conversations with his father about graveyards. The film shows the struggle of the child, as he tries to build a grand grave for his father. In the process, he ends up being hit by a car. The film had been beautifully shot with a wide angle lens while a few aerial shots helped the viewers get a sense of the space, such as the picturesque mountainous regions of Pakistan.
Waahi, by Karachi based directors Arsalan Majid, Haris Sehgal and Ghulam Abbas, is a short film which won the first prize in #ItHappensOnlyinPakistan, a recent contest by Dawn.com and Deutsche Welle. The film narrates the story of Iqbal Mai, who against all odds, remained steadfast and broke existing stereotypes about physical labour in order to provide for her family. This film hits the right chords with its grand cinematic appeal, top notch-production design, a heart wrenching narration by the protagonist, and a breath-taking sound design, which builds into a crescendo. All these elements combined with stellar cinematography consisting of crane shorts, gave this film a thoroughly professional ambiance.
Narayanpura, a documentary, seemed like an odd choice amongst the short films, but clicked perfectly with the theme of the festival. The directors, Zeerak Ali and Humad Nisar, have documented a walled community in Ranchor Line, Saddar, Karachi, called Narayanpura. Formed in 1824, this community houses people from the Hindu, Christian, and Sikh religions, and to date there haven’t been any interfaith feuds. According to an interfaith activist, Saad Rabbani, only in Pakistan can three very different religions survive and prosper next to each other, along with a sense of a tightly-bound community network. This neighbourhood is a prime example of interfaith harmony and defies the extremist image of a country like Pakistan. The film was shot with drones and handheld cameras, and a great sense of space was created with the juxtaposition of these cinematographic styles.
Last, but not the least, it was a pleasure to watch a hand drawn animated film by Maaz Moudud, titled Machinepur. With several layers of metaphors and analogies, this film tells the story of a robot trying to find meaning in a mechanical life. The poetic narration and bright colours appealed to children and adults alike. It was a story about listening to your heart, and letting go of the shackles of societal standards. The robot’s exploration of his sense of self came with ifs and buts, but he remained steadfast and achieved the satisfaction he was longing for.
The festival acted as a platform for aspiring young filmmakers to showcase their talent through experimental and abstract films. These films not only depicted the minorities, but represented an unbiased view of their lives that was different from the mainstream cinema. The films caused various ethnic and gender minorities to feel validated in their everyday struggles, giving them the power to view and be viewed in a unique way.
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