Written by: Haroon Shuaib
Posted on: March 15, 2023 | 
| 中文
Film screening at the open-air amphitheater of the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), Islamabad
These days Islamabad evenings are an ideal backdrop for outdoor events and what can be better than a chance to enjoy some really poignant arthouse films from across the globe in the very pleasant ambiance of the open-air amphitheater of Pakistan National Council of Arts? This treat was exactly what the 7th edition of the Women’s International Film Festival brought to indie cinema enthusiasts of the capital last week. The film festival kickstarted on Friday, March 10th 2023, with an opening session hosted by the Alliance Francaise d’Islamabad, which included five episodes from the animated French series Culottees. The series, directed by three women directors, comprises of short portraits of 30 revolutionary women, each writing their destinies in their own way and changing the world.
Viewers on day one of the festival
The next two days, supported by French and German embassies, were dedicated to screening 18 short films from countries that included Argentina, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Turkey, the UK, and the USA besides Pakistan. Women Through Films, the curating entity for the Women’s International Film Festival is a Pakistan-based initiative trying to encourage and facilitate young girls and women to use self-expression, storytelling and fiction through filmmaking. It is an initiative to celebrate the success stories, struggles, and achievements of inspiring women from all walks of life. The festival aims to support vocal, confident, fearless and economically independent female filmmakers who can tell stories about issues that affect them, using film and other interactive media. Women Through Films has an equally courageous team of women at its core led by Madeeha Raza, founder of the Women’s International Film Festival. The festival has now become an annual event that has been celebrating independent films made by women filmmakers from around the world since 2017. In its seventh year now, the festival also encourages collaborations among women filmmakers, and serves as a space for discussions about women’s multifaceted roles in society.
(L to R) Uruba Nisar, Project Head of the Festival, Prashant Thakkar and Roberto Donoso, Producers of 'The Woman under the Tree' and Madeeha Raza
Judged by a jury panel comprising esteemed film-makers from diverse backgrounds, the Best Film Award went to the film “48 Hours” , by Azadeh Moussavi from Iran. The 20-minute-long film follows the story of Nader, a man who after three years in prison is given a furlough for 48 hours to spend time with his four-year-old daughter. Written, directed and produced by Azadeh, 48 Hours is a sort of an autobiographical film through which she has relived the memory of the time when her father was arrested for political reasons. She was a child at the time, but now 40, she still carries the pain and bitterness. The Women’s International Film Festival 2023’s Best Film Award is another feather in Azadeh’s cap. She has also produced a documentary named “Finding Farideh” , which was completed in 2018 and won numerous awards from national and international festivals, including the honor of being Iran’s first official contender at the Oscars.
'48 Hours' from Iran bagged the Best Film Award at the festival
The other 20-minute film from Iran that was screened at the festival was “File” (‘Parvandeh’ in Persian) by Sonia K. Hadad, an Iranian writer and director. Born in Tehran, Sonia was primarily educated in her native country, before she went on to study Film and Media Arts at Emerson College in Boston. Made in 2022, “File” is the story of a 6-year-old mute boy and his mother at a pre-school health screening. As the boy is being assessed for his refusal to speak, his sudden disclosure of a dark secret to a kind officer assessing his odd behavior, leads to events that none of the adults anticipated. Sonia likes to pay attention to the details of people's lives and the society in which they are trying to conduct their lives. Even though her stories are based on simple incidents, they are just as complex as they relate to the everyday struggles of people in society. The film is hard-hitting, loaded and intense, and in the last scene, as all characters exit the frame and the camera slowly pulls out into an empty office corridor, the silent few seconds and a slow fade to black, actually leave a lump in the throat of the viewers. This very human-centric realistic style has long been the hallmark of Iranian cinema, and this realism in Iranian movies is what keeps drawing global and film festival audiences to Iranian productions. The depictions of social realism and portrayal of forlorn people trapped between the demands of tradition and modernity are very beautifully captured by Iranian film-makers, and there is definitely a great deal for Pakistani film-makers from the cinematic language that has evolved over time in Iran.
A shot from 'File' (‘Parvandeh’ in Persian) by Sonia K. Hadad
Mehreen Jabbar’s “Baira Gharakh” was a light-hearted comedy, but had a deeper message at its core. An entry from Pakistan, “Baira Gharakh” is a story of a night when nothing goes as planned, for a wife, her husband and his mistress end up in the same house at the same time. With murder in the air, this situational comedy makes some poignant tongue-in-cheek comments on infidelity and deception in relationships. Most films showcased at the festival were well crafted, with serious undertones. “Baira Ghrakh”, despite its meaningful message, provided comic relief to the viewers. “Baira Gharakh” featured Yasra Rizvi, Hajra Yamin and Khalid Malik in the main roles, and according to Mehreen after having directed movies, television serials, and a web series, it was challenging as well as an exciting experiment for her to make a short film.
Hajra Yamin and Yasra Rizvi in Baira Gharak
More such film festivals that can bring international cinema to Pakistan are definitely something that needs to happen more frequently. It will not only help Pakistani filmmakers learn about cinematic traditions other than Hollywood and Bollywood, but will also expose Pakistani audience to a more diverse and evolved cinema.
This year the Women’s International Film Festival is traveling to Karachi, will be hosted by the Goethe-Institute on 16th March, and in Lahore by Aangun – Centre for Learning and Culture on 18th March. Next year, hopefully it will go to other cities also.
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