Khadim Dai’s powerful documentary 'Hazara Town' set for international competition at IDFA

Khadim Dai’s compelling documentary Hazara Town has been officially selected for the International Competition at the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). The film, which explores profound themes of displacement, family bonds, and survival, is poised to make a significant splash on the global festival circuit following substantial backing from international funds.

Hazara Town follows a Hazara family twenty years after fleeing Afghanistan, now residing in Pakistan where they face intensifying persecution.

As mounting pressures close in, the family is forced to confront a heart-wrenching dilemma: whether to stay together amidst growing hostility or embark on perilous journeys of migration, risking separation with the knowledge that they may never see one another again.

Directed by Khadim Dai and produced by Ilyas Yourish for Congoo alongside Graeme Isaac and Anke Petersen, the documentary blends intimate family moments with the broader, harrowing realities of persecution and uprooted lives.

Previously developed under the working title Life in the Shadows, the project has received extensive support from major industry entities including the Sundance Documentary Fund, the IDFA Bertha Fund, and the Close Up Initiative.

Festival programmers have highlighted Hazara Town as a standout inclusion in this year's competitive lineup, praising its delicate balance of personal narrative and urgent socio-political commentary.

As the documentary prepares for its upcoming premiere in Amsterdam, it stands out as a poignant and timely meditation on resilience, memory, and the immense human cost of borders and conflict.