Written by: Mahnoor Fatima
Posted on: September 04, 2020 | 
A Still from 'The Lost Procession'
The Documentary Association of Pakistan (DAP) has begun its second iteration of the Chalta Phirta Festival (CPFD), a curated collection of nine fantastic, thoughtful and moving documentaries by Pakistanis and for Pakistanis. DAP had a successful first year, touring a collection of 14 acclaimed documentaries to 9 major cities like Lahore and Karachi, and smaller towns like Gujjaranwala and Hyderabad. This year, due to the ongoing lockdown situation, CPFD has gone online, screening each documentary free on YouTube for two days each. As an additional treat, each film will be followed by a virtual Q&A with the filmmakers and some of the film’s characters, where they discuss the process of making the films.
Youlin spoke to two of its five founding members, Fahad Naveed and Tazeen Bari, about their hopes for the festival, the changing art of documentary filming, and what it takes to make compelling documentaries in Pakistan.
A Screening from the first 'Chalta Phirta Festival' in Hyderabad, Sindh
TB: I’m happy that this time we have all Pakistani documentaries. One of the things important to us at DAP is that we promote specifically Pakistani documentaries, which is why we showed these films all over the country in the first edition. It was important to have a local audience and also have local programming.
FN: In the first round, there was a lot of effort to take documentary cinema to smaller cities and towns where usually you don’t have this kind of access to documentaries. It’s easier to invite a filmmaker or a speaker to a bigger city like Karachi, but that’s not always possible when you’re in a smaller city. What’s exciting about this year’s programming is that all of them are followed by Q&As with the filmmakers, which is easier because it’s all online. So it’s not just that you watch the film, but also you engage in a conversation with the film and the filmmakers.
Tazeen Bari
FN: Personally, I am very excited. When you make something you want people to see it. I am also really happy that it’s online and anyone can watch it. Lots of the characters in the film want to share it with people they know. When you make a film, there are so many people who, in one way or another, are like little angels for your film. So it’s a nice opportunity to share it online with people for whom it’s not always possible to see the film.
TB: I agree with a lot of the things Fahad is saying. When we make films, we want them to be seen, and that’s a huge benefit with going online. For my last few films, I’ve actually pushed for them to be online, as opposed to doing a festival circuit. With a festival circuit, there’s a lot of benefits, but films being online, COVID or no-COVID, you know you’ll reach a large number of diverse audience. I’m also excited because Nayab (a transgender activist who ran for a local election) who I follow in the documentary, is someone I’ve maintained a relationship with after filming. She’s amazing, and she’s done so much since the film was made. We’re going have her in the Q&A, where she can also share her experiences and reach out to her community.
Fahad Naved, in a Still from 'Puff Puff Pak'
TB: I think if you wanted to give loose connections, we have ‘Indus Blues’ and ‘Some Lover to Some Beloved’, which could be put in the cultural category, even though stylistically there’s not much of a crossover. And then the Perween Rehman film (‘Perween Rehman: The Rebel Optimist’), as well as my film, are first-person stories which are very much character-driven, focusing on people who are engaging in resistance. I won’t speak for Fahad’s film, but that is a first-person documentary with more experimental elements. Then, we have Daniyal’s film (‘Mela Chiraghan’) and ‘The Lost Procession’, which are purely observational, so they’re stylistically in a different space.
FN: When people think of documentary films, they think talking heads will give you information, and it’s the kind of stuff you see on Nat Geo. But the form and the medium allows you to do so much. And, yes there are threads within the program in terms of topics, content and treatment, which to us as organizers seem more obvious. For instance, Gulzar Niyani (‘No More Backseaters’) and my film are playing together, because thematically they lend themselves to each other as companion pieces.
TB: As with other arts, I think there’s always a mainstream and off-beat side. I guess maybe in our present digital era, there are more platforms to showcase experimental kinds of things. But I think it’s always been a part of filmmaking. I think it is a very broad medium but the problem is that the mainstream doesn’t often give space to those who experiment. DAP and organizations like DAP, film festivals or online platforms exist, to give space to that kind of work.
FN: Because documentaries don’t come in the mainstream, there’s really not much to lose. There’s a lot more at stake in a fiction feature film because it requires more money and a larger number of people are involved, while a documentary requires a small budget and crew. While that means we struggle trying to make a documentary, it does give us room to experiment.
No one is going to make a documentary in Pakistan unless they’re doing stories that they really believe need to be out there. And they know that in return, there’s no fame or money. However, I do think that with digital technology, it’s easier to make good experimental documentary work, which sometimes does go to festivals and is picked up by online platforms.
A Still of Zia Mohyeddin in 'Some Lover for Some Beloved'
TB: Documentary watching has risen in the last 10-15 years globally, and that has everything to do with streaming platforms because, like we said, documentaries have not existed in the box office space. But I think with the aid of streaming sites, more people are watching documentaries, and they will also be inspired to make them. Interest in documentary cinema is increasing globally, and the same applies to Pakistan. That being said, I personally think nothing can replace a big screen, good sound, and watching films with other people.
With CPFD, DAP has remained committed to bringing internationally acclaimed documentary films on Pakistan back to the people. This welcome addition to the cultural scene in Pakistan ensures that not only will people be introduced to an array of filmmaking techniques, but will also be able to engage in meaningful conversations about the subjects not often spoken about in the mainstream. Film enthusiasts, aspiring filmmakers or anyone curious about documentary films, should not miss out on CPFD’s incredible lineup of documentaries that showcase and celebrate artistic talent in Pakistan.
A Still from 'The Shaking Keeps Me Steady'
To watch the documentaries, follow DAP’s Youtube page, and for more updates on DAP, follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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