Pakistani documentary makes a mark in Spain
‘7000 Miles’ only Pakistani project screened at MiradasDoc Market and Festival in Spain
Documentary film emerged victorious as it bagged two awards at the festival. PHOTO: PUBLICITY
KARACHI:
Drawing inspiration from two places 7000 miles apart — New York and Pakistan — Nausheen Ishtiaq-Chen has bagged yet another accolade for her latest offering, 7000 Miles. The director, who won two awards at the MiradasDoc Market and Festival in Tenerife, Spain, shared her excitement about representing Pakistan at the fiesta, single-handedly. “It felt great to present [7000 Miles] to an international audience and win the awards. It was like gaining international recognition for a Pakistani homegrown project in this arena,” Nausheen shared with The Express Tribune.
Produced in collaboration with Wormhole Productions, Grayscale and The Acting Wheel, the documentary was selected for the tenth cycle of the MiradasDoc Market and Festival. 7000 Miles competed against other projects from Spain and Latin America and received positive feedback from distributors in Spain and the UK, with many of them expressing their interest. “We got two pitching awards, which were both grants. We also received international distribution for the film through a Spain-based agency who offered free subtitling of our film in Spanish,” stated executive co-producer Nabhan Karim.
Pakistani documentary shortlisted for Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award
Nausheen was both the director and executive producer of the film and had been planning to pursue this initiative since she was studying filmmaking at The New School in New York. Having lived in New York and Karachi, Nausheen was frequently questioned by her friends as to how life was different in both cities, something that later spiralled into a complete documentary. “I decided to make this film to answer people’s question about how different we are from the people living 7000 miles away from us,” stated Nausheen.
Making the documentary required the production team to interview people from various backgrounds – something which Nabhan believes helped 7000 Miles stand out amongst its contemporaries. “The best thing about 7000 Miles is that it has no agenda. It isn’t about showing both places in a good or bad light. We’ve interviewed people from all backgrounds, starting from a rickshaw driver trying to learn English in Karachi to a drag queen in New York. It’s not about who these people are but about what they do to survive,” said Nabhan.
Student-driven: Celebrating Karachi’s chaotic nature
Shooting in Karachi however, was no easy feat for the team of young film-makers — particularly in its last leg, when their equipment almost got robbed. “I feel it [7000 Miles] was personally a rewarding and humbling experience as I had grown close to each of my subjects. It was a privilege to have had such an intimate look into people’s lives, thoughts, worries, biggest fears and ambitions,” concluded Nausheen.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2015.
Drawing inspiration from two places 7000 miles apart — New York and Pakistan — Nausheen Ishtiaq-Chen has bagged yet another accolade for her latest offering, 7000 Miles. The director, who won two awards at the MiradasDoc Market and Festival in Tenerife, Spain, shared her excitement about representing Pakistan at the fiesta, single-handedly. “It felt great to present [7000 Miles] to an international audience and win the awards. It was like gaining international recognition for a Pakistani homegrown project in this arena,” Nausheen shared with The Express Tribune.
Produced in collaboration with Wormhole Productions, Grayscale and The Acting Wheel, the documentary was selected for the tenth cycle of the MiradasDoc Market and Festival. 7000 Miles competed against other projects from Spain and Latin America and received positive feedback from distributors in Spain and the UK, with many of them expressing their interest. “We got two pitching awards, which were both grants. We also received international distribution for the film through a Spain-based agency who offered free subtitling of our film in Spanish,” stated executive co-producer Nabhan Karim.
Pakistani documentary shortlisted for Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award
Nausheen was both the director and executive producer of the film and had been planning to pursue this initiative since she was studying filmmaking at The New School in New York. Having lived in New York and Karachi, Nausheen was frequently questioned by her friends as to how life was different in both cities, something that later spiralled into a complete documentary. “I decided to make this film to answer people’s question about how different we are from the people living 7000 miles away from us,” stated Nausheen.
Making the documentary required the production team to interview people from various backgrounds – something which Nabhan believes helped 7000 Miles stand out amongst its contemporaries. “The best thing about 7000 Miles is that it has no agenda. It isn’t about showing both places in a good or bad light. We’ve interviewed people from all backgrounds, starting from a rickshaw driver trying to learn English in Karachi to a drag queen in New York. It’s not about who these people are but about what they do to survive,” said Nabhan.
Student-driven: Celebrating Karachi’s chaotic nature
Shooting in Karachi however, was no easy feat for the team of young film-makers — particularly in its last leg, when their equipment almost got robbed. “I feel it [7000 Miles] was personally a rewarding and humbling experience as I had grown close to each of my subjects. It was a privilege to have had such an intimate look into people’s lives, thoughts, worries, biggest fears and ambitions,” concluded Nausheen.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2015.