LIDF FFSC – Pakistan Day at the British Museum

by Sarwar Mushtaq, Eckova

It was an enjoyable and energized Saturday at the British Museum, in spite of the rain.  The Pakistan Day event was attended by about 100 people, including students, press, film makers, members of the British Pakistani community, and others. The eleven films were shown over two sessions.  Each session was followed by a panel discussion and a Q&A session. Both panels were chaired and moderated by Patrick Hazard.

Session 1 Panel:

• Athar Hussain Director of the Asia Research Centre, LSE
• Anwar Akhtar, Director of The Samosa, a digital media, culture, arts and politics project, focusing on Britain and South Asia
• Ali Sheikh, Sumayya Hafeez & Sehar Palijo, student filmmakers

Session 2 Panel:

• Faissal Hameed, Lecturer in Islam and Politics,
• Maha Hosain Aziz, Senior Teaching Fellow in South Asian Politics, SOAS / Asia Insight Columnist, Business Week
• Asma Shah, Film Maker, Director of Modernizing Madrassas
• Alizeb Raees, Nabiha Khan & Kiran Ahmed, student filmmakers

Each of the expert panelists gave their view of the importance of showing the ‘real’ Pakistan through such films and commended the film makers on their efforts. All the 11 films received praise from the audience. The attendees also expressed appreciation for the students and their effort. Several questions and comments came from the audience and were responded to ably by the students. Many of the questions were directed at the distribution and dissemination of the films in Pakistan and the UK.

After a short break, there was an informal discussion session between the visiting Pakistani filmmakers and some young London filmmakers. Everyone watched a film from the project Hidden Herstories. This was followed by a light, informative and very encouraging exchange of ideas between everyone present. Mr. Anwar Akhtar of Samosa joined in the discussion offering noteworthy insight.

Sunday was shopping and sightseeing, followed by a screening of a Brazilian film in the evening, with a night on the town in the works.

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See more photos from LIDF at the FLICKR gallery

Reason to Be

Film Synopsis:

Do extremist values inspire or repress art in Pakistan? The film follows an artist whose work has had a controversial reaction due to religion / politics / society. Looking at liberal / conservative values and how this has affected or inspired his work. It shows the contradictions he has faced in daily life and what inspires him to continue with his work, despite the issues surrounding him. His work in a gallery is shown and people’s response to it. Artist Iqbal Hussain.

Filmmakers:

Awais Ahmed- University of the Punjab, Lahore; Huma Akbar- Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore; Kamran Khan- University of the Punjab, Lahore

Go to the YouTube Filmmaking for Social Change Channel and view and comment on all the films.

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Paper Bus

Film Synopsis:

What are the unintended consequences of protests against terrorism?

A day in the life of a bus driver whose bus was set on fire during a riot against terrorist activity. Focusing on how an ordinary man rebuilds his life after losing everything.

Filmmakers: Sehar Palijo, Karachi University;  Bilal Lati, Karachi School of Arts

Go to the YouTube Filmmaking for Social Change Channel and view and comment on all the films.

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Open the Blindfolds

Film Synopsis:

Pakistan is a country notorious for its religious extremism. But is that the whole story? What is the fate of religious minorities here, for example? Open the Blindfolds sets out to answer this question by visiting a few missionary schools in Karachi.

Filmmakers: Summaiya Hafeez, Talha Ahmed, Ali Ahmed Brohi. PAF KIET, Karachi University, Karachi School of Arts. Karachi

Filmmakers Summaiya Hafeez, Talha Ahmed and Ali Ahmed Brohi

Go to the YouTube Filmmaking for Social Change Channel and view and comment on all the films.

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PAKISTAN: Filmmaking for Social Change @ LIDF 2010

Date:	Saturday, May 1, 2010
Time:	12:00pm – 6:00pm
Location:	The British Museum
City:	City of London, United Kingdom

For the second year running, LIDF has developed and led documentary filmmaking workshops in Karachi, Pakistan supported by the British High Commission in Islamabad. Thirty students from Karachi and Lahore were trained in documentary history, theory and shown a selection of LIDF’s best documentaries from the past 3 years, before embarking on the production of their own.

The result is 11 short films all dealing with issues relating to the effects of terrorism in Pakistan today. These films will be premiered at the British Museum in London, and students will be present to participate in post-film discussions.

Stevenson Theatre, each session is £3. Please book at the British Museum box office.

This is posted on a Facebook Event page. Click to see the full schedule for the day and to RSVP
– http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116585288353103

PK783

Film Synopsis:

Why do people leave Pakistan for good?
The film follows a young man who is about to give up everything he has ever known for what he thinks is a more promising world. What drives an individual to make such a decision?

Filmmakers: Kiran Ahmad, Paiman Hussain, Hafsa Pasha. Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture , Karachi, Pakistan

Filmmakers with Patrick Hazard of LIDF

Go to the YouTube Filmmaking for Social Change Channel and view and comment on all the films.

Visit the web page for this film

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LIDF 2009 Experience

Hello everyone!

It’s great to see the ‘Filmmaking for Social Change’ workshops coming back and this year with more student filmmakers, 30 to be specific. Last year, there were 12 students selected. I was one of them. This time I’m in the staff to facilitate the 30 students and their mentors.

What an experience it was for me last year as a student in the LIDF/BHC workshops! I always wanted to be a socio political documentary filmmaker and with this project I got the opportunity to do exactly the same. I would like to share some of my experience with all of you here.

Two trainers came from London, Patrick Hazard, the director of the London International Documentary Festival (LIDF) and Peter Fraser, a journalist, producer and a filmmaker, for guiding us. The 5 day pre-production workshop with Peter Fraser and Patrick Hazard was amazing as we learned a lot from the history of film to the different eras and styles of documentaries. It was better than I expected it to be. We had some really great, healthy and at times heated discussions on various issues with my fellow students during the workshop.

After the pre-production workshop, the trainers left and we had a month and a half for research, scripting and production. It was really time consuming and tough as we had to meet with a lot of concerned people for research and permissions to shoot.

We were given five days to shoot so I had to plan the shooting schedule within five days and it was really tough to align your team/crew, the equipment, the locations, and the character/subject at the same time and at same place. It was an extremely tough and learning experience. I believe that challenges only make you stronger.

Then Peter and Patrick returned from London to spend 5 days with us on post-production, it was great! We had to take some intellectual decisions while editing the footage for the final film. Every single minute there was a learning experience! We had to spend 12 to 15 hours on the edit and I was enjoying every bit of it. I believe that if you are not willing to stay awake all night to do something then there is no point in doing that! You should be strongly passionate about what you do.

Once the film was complete I started packing for London and LIDF. It was an excitement in it’s own league because I’ve never been outside Pakistan and I’ve always heard all the great things about London. While in London and at the LIDF my pre-conceptions about ‘westerners’ shattered as everyone was so nice, gentle and friendly. Everyone appreciated and respected me a lot!

While sitting on the stage in a panel after the screening of our film in LIDF, I was feeling a huge responsibility on my shoulders as a documentary filmmaker and a Pakistani. It was truly great!

Meeting with so many different people related to films broadened my horizon of thought. And couple of people in London are interested in working with me in future, which is fascinating.

Patrick Pearce, a Canadian filmmaker, who was blogging LIDF for an American independent website, invited me to his place in Woodside Park and we went for a bike ride in woods. Wow! It was amazing, truly amazing! I can never forget the experience of cycling in woods in the suburbs of London, I only use to see it in movies and read about it in books. What an ambience it was!

I’m very grateful to the British High Commission for providing this platform for social change. I think they should keep on supporting such collaborations and our youth in future as well.

– Moiz Masood Sultani