Showing the real Pakistan to British Pakistanis

Expat documentarian hopes to ‘fix’ country’s image in Britain.

ISLAMABAD:

It’s all about peace for documentarian Anwar Akhtar, as he tries to showcase the “real” Pakistan to an audience of “misguided” British-Pakistanis in the UK.

In Pakistan, visiting from the UK for the third time in as many years, Akhtar served as the director of “The Samosa”, a digital media publishing project that focuses on Britain and South Asia in an attempt to clear common misconceptions about the region.

“Pakistan is an important country but it’s been highlighted for all the wrong reasons,” Akhtar told The Express Tribune. The international audience, particularly the British, has been blind-sighted by the predominantly negative media attention attributed to the region, he added. He believes a series of short films about Pakistan will help fill in the gaps between the representation and reality.

From the 1.2 million British-born Pakistanis living in the UK today, though a majority have links to Pakistan, with the passage of time they have grown more disconnected with reality, according to Akhtar. With “The Samosa”, he hopes to not only recreate the international perception of the country, but help expatriates reconnect with their roots.

“It’s not all about extremism and instability. There is so much more [to Pakistan] that people still have to see,” he said. Using his own experience as an example, he stated that there are many in the UK that despite being born there, have an emotional attachment to the country that birthed their fathers and forefathers.

During his visit, an agreement with the heads of visual arts schools in Lahore and Karachi was reached which will involve producing short films highlighting different sectors and issues faced by the countries. Agencies such as the World Health Organisation and UNICEF will also be a part of the venture.

“The end result would be that these schools would produce short films. With strong audio-visuals, we will be able to cement a consistent presence of Pakistan in Britain.”

Karachi University, SZABIST and Beaconhouse National University have all reached agreements with the director.

The short films will be shown at London’s The Royal Society by the end of this year, in “an effort to connect Pakistan, Britain and the Pakistani diaspora in the UK.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2012.