KARACHI:
Carrying forward the momentum set on the first day of the 6th Mini INPUT — the short film festival at the Goethe Institut — the next two days were just as captivating due to the inclusion of diverse and relatable themes.
The second day of the festival was dedicated to the day-to-day struggles of ordinary people while the third, and last day, covered varied themes ranging from a lover’s sad fable to the Iranian elections of 2009.
Nora
The story, which was narrated through dance, revolves around the life a choreographer, Nora. Growing up in a broken family in Rhodesia, Nora is excessively beaten up by her mother, who constantly tells her not to get pregnant as she’s only 15. However, to their dismay, Nora gets pregnant and refuses to marry the father of her child. Instead, she decides to leave her family and start afresh in New York. “It is a film on a powerful black woman, who became stronger as a result of a harsh childhood,” said a viewer Kiran Dawani.
Short Films by SAAMPT Students
Students at the South Asian Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Television (SAAMPT) presented seven short films, each with a duration of around a minute-and-a- half. Touching upon various themes, the young students of the academy brought forward some quality work, although one wonders why most of them focused on death. “Most of the stories were tragedies; I feel upcoming film-makers should focus more on positive thoughts and happier stories,” said Arif Rajani, a member from the audience.
Village without women
This documentary revolves around three brothers who live in a Serbian village which has no women left as they’ve migrated to cities for a better future. In order to save their village from disappearing, the brothers set out on a journey to visit neighbouring places in the hope of finding women for themselves. “The story had some good thoughts on how people can change the circumstances they live in and be successful in their search.”
Meanwhile, the last day of the festival saw a mix of fiction and non-fiction tales, which were not only visually arresting but were also easily relatable for many.
Radio Karen
Since listening to the radio is a popular pastime in Pakistan as well, the film was something everyone could relate to. It depicts the familiar and often affectionate tone in the relationship between the RJ and the listener. Some conversations with the listeners are humorous while others are more direct and meaningful.
The song of lunch
Christopher Reid’s famous poem of the same name was transformed into a fiction film, where the main roles were enacted by Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. A BBC production, The Song of Lunch, tells the story of a writer who is meeting his long lost love after 15 years at Zanzotti, a restaurant they used to visit often.
The Green Wave
This documentary portrays the presidential elections in Iran in 2009 which left Iranians shocked as contrary to all expectations the populist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was confirmed in office. The documentary also included Facebook reports, Twitter messages and videos posted in the internet.
However, many felt that the documentary didn’t do justice to the campaign. Umer Qazi, a viewer, says, “The Green Wave gave just a one-sided view of the supporters of Mousavi. For a complete picture, one needed to know what Ahmadinejad’s followers had to say.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2012.
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