Panning away from stereotypes

French Film Festival starts with panel discussion and screening of the film made on the life of a transgender.

KARACHI:

“I have committed a big sin. I erased something that God gave me and that’s a sin,” Noor, a Pakistani transgendered man and the titular character of the eponymously titled film, says as he wiped his tears for the next question. The film, named after its title character, marked the beginning of a two-day film festival at the Alliance Française de Karachi called ‘A French Filmmaker’s Perspective’. The festival began with a panel discussion featuring the film’s creators Çağla Zencirci, Guillaume Giovanetti, Michel Spinosa and the actor Noor (who carried his name in the film). True to the title of the festival, the filmmakers shared their perspectives on Pakistan and film.



Noor, the first film to be screened, is based on the real life events of the film’s protagonist. It shows Noor, a dissatisfied worker at a truck decoration centre who desperately wants to grow a beard. He is tired of dancing at weddings and of a failed relationship with another transperson; an event that drastically changed his life.

Zencirci and Giovanetti were introduced to Noor by an acquaintance and were inspired to make a movie on his life, the idea meshing well with their intent to make a film in Pakistan. Noor was released in French theatres in April this year, and received generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike. It was also featured at the Cannes Film Festival, among others.

The director duo of Zencirci and Giovanetti met in Ankara, Turkey where they decided to make films. They started directing in 2004 with a small crew and haven’t stopped since. Noor is their eighth collaborative project but their first feature film.

While talking about making a movie in Pakistan, Çağla said, “We made a movie in a country where fairies really exist, where people believe in them. It’s spiritual and interesting to see faith having such an influence on life.” She also expressed her affection for the country. “I love Pakistan. I wanted to show normal people living their life in Pakistan; not the Pakistan that is shown in the media,” she said.

Giovanetti considers Noor a tribute to his friends in Pakistan and wanted to make a movie meant to defy stereotypes. “The initial idea was not to make a movie on transgender issues but more about breaking prejudices in Pakistani people’s minds. If you can have empathy at the end of the movie then the movie was successful.”

When asked what it was like to play his own real-life role in the movie, Noor said, “I wanted people to hear my story; of what I have been through, and for people to give feedback on my story.”

“Before shooting this film, I was a dancing hijra. My life was bad but it became good. I didn’t expect the things that happened. That’s why I am grateful to them [Zencirci and Giovanetti] for telling my story and walking on the streets and coming and talking to me.”



Saqib Malik, a Pakistani film director had this to say about the film: “Part social-realism, part magical-realism and probably silly and absurd to some Pakistani viewers, Noor is ultimately a pleasantly watchable fairy tale, helped in no small measure by the effortless charm and considerable screen presence of the real-life Noor himself , a transgendered snooker player from Lahore, acting for the first time.”



Right now, the filmmakers are looking for Pakistani distributors who can help take their film to cinemas across Pakistan, even if it is for a short period of time.

Note: The is an amended version of the story published earlier.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2014.

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