Documentary screening: Lack of focus blurs message

20-min film tries to amalgamate multiple social problems.


Maryam Usman March 09, 2015
Sahar Batool, a six-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Quetta Cantonment, few months ago. STOCK IMAGE

ISLAMABAD: A documentary supposed to highlight rape and murder of a Shia Hazara girl failed to do justice with a very serious issue as the documentarian apparently loses focus on the subject and touches upon multiple social problems.

The screening of the 20-minute documentary titled, “Sahar Batool Insaf Maangti Hai - Justice Denied”, (Sahar Batool seeks justice) by Nageen Hyat, curator and activist took place at the Nomad Art Gallery and Cultural Centre, here on Monday.

Incidents involving attacks on the Shia Hazara community in Balochistan are not new. Sahar Batool, a six-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Quetta Cantonment, few months ago.

The documentary features interviews of rights activists as well as a sociologist from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). It allows the interviewees to speak in the larger context of violation of human rights.

Instead of exclusively focusing on the victim and her family, the documentary diverges into a larger perspective of human rights violations from child abuse to misuse of blasphemy laws.

Issues the short film tries to tackle, include Shia genocide, target killings of marginalised communities such as Christians and Hazaras and the plight of internally displaced women from Fata. The documentary even attempts to touch upon government’s silence over lynching of a Christian couple allegedly over blasphemy Kot Radha Kishan in Punjab. It also highlights importance of empowering women and youth.

Interestingly, the documentary also zeroes in on Nomad’s programme, “Art for Social Change, Peace and Activism”, focusing on capacity building in underprivileged communities.

In a discussion following the screening, Hyat said she was moved by the tragic incident in Quetta and decided to make the documentary to create awareness about child abuse.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2015.

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