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    The Painful, the Joyful & the Beautiful - 'Mina Walking' Screened at the FACE Film Festival 2016

    Written by: Mirza Salam Ahmed
    Posted on: May 02, 2016 |

    Farzana Nawabi as Mina

    It is rare to see a foreign thought-provoking film receive admiration and applause in Pakistan – something that was achieved by ‘Mina Walking’, which was screened at the FACE Film Festival 2016 in PNCA on Saturday, 30th April, where a large crowd gathered to witness perhaps the most close-to-life film that has been screened inside Pakistani borders in years.

    Canadian director Yosef Baraki shows us the war of the Afghan women, who survived and supported their families through hard-fought gains, whilst the Taliban war raged and destroyed the country’s economic and social structure.

    'Mina Walking' at FACE Film Festival 2016, PNCA Islamabad

    Baraki’s camera captures the life of Mina, a strong but impulsive 12-year-old Afghan girl, whose mother died at the hands of the Taliban, and who is now left with an ailing grandfather and a “junkie” father. Mina, played by Farzana Nawabi, is burdened with the responsibility of supporting her family, trying to make ends meet through street selling.

    Many among the PNCA audience found themselves in tears, seeing how Mina’s undeterred resolve could not be broken, whether by family or society. Mina punched a painful hole in the hearts of many, showing how to stand strong in the darkest of hours. Yet, it was the young girl’s sharp wit and the director’s dark humour that brought smiles to the faces in the audience.

    'Mina Walking' at FACE Film Festival 2016, PNCA Islamabad

    In a race against time to shoot Mina Walking in a country ravaged by war and extremism, Baraki recalls the hardships he had to face during filming, and how close he came to death at the hands of the Taliban multiple times. "I could hear boom, boom, boom. It was far off, but every second the sound felt nearer and nearer," Baraki told The Hollywood Reporter.

    Bringing out the real story of the lives of Afghani women was an incredibly difficult task. In the midst of a country where women are oppressed and prohibited to travel freely, Baraki and his cast were often besieged by local extremists, who would lambast Nawabi for making such a film and siding with the so-called liberals. "When we were filming in busy streets or markets and people saw me pointing a camera at her [Nawabi], they would yell out insults – they would throw things at her, and shout out that she should be ashamed to play in a film; she should be at home, not on the street talking to boys," Baraki said.

    'Mina Walking' at FACE Film Festival 2016, PNCA Islamabad

    Farzana Nawabi and Yosef Baraki at the Berlin International Film Festival (source - www.berlinale.de)

    The movie’s unique narrative style and cinematography is the result of innovation on the part of Baraki and his crew. The movie did not have a security budget, which meant that in order to avoid attention, the cameras were often placed on rooftops or open windows, giving a wider scene in view to the picture.

    Mina Walking is a loud shout to the struggles of young women in the region, such as the Nobel Prize winning Pakistani teenager, Malala Yousafzai. It vividly reflects the struggles of children from the post-Taliban regime and the families that have been scarred and devastated by decades of war. The film shows Afghanistan at a crossroads, where people had the power to decide where the future of the country would lie. The psychological development of their new society is taking place; but if children continue to get pulled out of schools and forced to sell on the streets in a country that has been torn morally, the results will be devastating.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021