British Council showcases films involving ‘local stories’
The British Council in collaboration with Patakha Pictures in Pakistan and the Scottish Documentary Institute in the UK organized a film screening event for “Pakistan Stories” at a hotel in Islamabad. Pakistan Stories seeks to support a new generation of female Pakistani documentary filmmakers to enable them to create engaging films that reflect on their society, and Pakistan’s 75 years of independence.
The event celebrated the journey of the ten selected filmmakers through the programme. The filmmakers worked in pairs over a period of eight weeks and were mentored by experts in Pakistan and Scotland to develop and finance their creative skills so they could produce five short documentaries in a safe environment and reach new local and international audiences through their work. Important themes the documentaries cover include: early child and forced marriages, the rights of transgenders, women and disability, women in education and the feminist movement in Pakistan.
Guests at the event included the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Christian Turner, the Deputy Director of the British Council, Mark Crossey, filmmaker and founder of Patakha Pictures, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the Director of the Scottish Documentary Institute, Noe Mendelle, as well as top diplomats, senior government officials, journalists, leading experts from the art space, and young aspiring artists and filmmakers.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2022.