Coverage from the South Asian International Film Festival

Good Morning, Karachi

Good Morning, Karachi, directed by Sabiha Sumar and staring actress and model Amna Ilyas, is a tale of a young woman named Rafina who is forced to confront traditional values in a rapidly modernizing society. Raised in a working-class neighborhood in Pakistan, Rafina dreams of independence and becoming a professional fashion model–-even as her family and fiancé pressure her to settle down into a more traditional role. Set against a backdrop of religious fanaticism, political strife and economic hardship, Rafina’s character is used to analyze the contradictory pulls facing young women in a religiously conservative and largely traditional society.

Good Morning, Karachi offers us an optimistic middle path between orthodox culture and contemporary sensibilities, both heeding the past while not selling out. While the film is perhaps a bit cliché in its embrace of love and acceptance as the ultimate answer to conflicting social demands, gender inequality and broader geopolitical issues, Good Morning, Karachi still does take on some very serious topics, and offers a perspective on Pakistani culture and society from a much more localized viewpoint that one doesn’t often get– for example, I found it interesting to consider fashion modeling as a form of female empowerment in a culture where women are often not brought into the limelight. Good Morning, Karachi is light without being too “fluffy,” is charged by basic social truths, and remains charming in its sincerity and conviction.

Anima State

Anima State is a film loaded with cultural and political references to director Hammad Khan’s native Pakistan, striving for importance and poignancy, attempts to speak out for a disenchanted generation– and falls disappointingly short.  The film is broken into two sections– in the first, we following a nameless man wearing a bandage around his head as he arbitrarily begins killing people on the street. In the second section, the bandage comes off, the gun literally transforms into a camera, and our shooter turns out to be an unassuming filmmaker who manages to get chased and/or beaten by soldiers, then a techie street gang, then his own imagination as he becomes delusional and believes helicopters and cars that pass him are hot on his tail.

There are a number of flags here that indicates this film is intended for a Pakistani audience. There are multiple historical and cultural references that completely go over the heads of most Westerners, and the killer’s murdering of who seem to be representatives from each segment of Pakistani society (police/military state, the tech-savvy youth, the poor, sex workers, the nation’s closeted gay community, etc.) largely loses its impact on a non-familiar audience.

While the film’s shocking imagery and powerful nihilist message concerning modern Pakistan might be interesting as a cultural artifact, the power of its gravitas ends there. Its lack of subtly, humor, and originality isn’t very becoming, and Khan’s politicized style, is far from enjoyable to watch. Though laudable on some level, the film will have a hard time finding an audience.

Ankhon Dekhi

Ankhon Dekhi, directed by veteran actor and filmmaker Rajat Kapoor, is a humorous and clever story set in contemporary India. Our protagonist is Bauji, an average middle-aged man who, after discovering the bad reputation of his daughter’s boyfriend is undeserved and false, decides to believe only what he experiences first hand. Bauji’s humorous insistence on sticking to his morals brushes up against his family and working life, and must somehow manage his newfound search for a sort of self-wrought spiritualism with the demands of everyday life. Despite it’s slightly meandering narrative and a some culturally untranslatable moments (such as the uncle beating his son for failing maths), the film provides and intimate and everyday perspective on Indian family life and values, is very humorous, and features a beautiful wedding scene near its conclusion. Delightful to watch, Ankhon Dekhi is a must-see at this year’s festival.

Coming up this week is HBO’s tenth annual South Asian International Film Festival, featuring a diverse blend of some of the finest contemporary filmmakers South Asia has to offer. With several world premieres, exclusive interviews, (and what look like some interesting after-parties), this is an NYC event one does not want to miss!

With the festival’s mix of feature lengths and short films, running December 3^rd through the 8^th at the SVA Theatre and NYIT Auditorium, it might be hard to navigate the many options available to the curious viewer. Here’s a basic rundown of the SAIFF Must-Sees you should check out.

Monsoon Shootout

First on the list is certainly Monsoon Shootout, screened on the festival’s opening night. A fast-paced Hindi noir (with the occasional Tarantino-esque flourish), the film has been shown at both Cannes and Fantastic Fest to positive reception from both audiences and critics alike. It follows the story of rookie cop Adi, out on his first assignment in rain-drenched Mumbai. When Adi has to make a split-second decision whether to shoot or not when pursuing a suspect, we watch as the effects of his snap judgment affect people around him. It should be noted that director Amit Kumar will be in attendance for the screening!

Anima State and Khoon LTD

The second day of the festival features the world premiere of the thriller Anima State. Set against the background of a sectarian and divided Pakistan, a bandaged stranger embarks on a killing-spree in a major urban center. There’s no question the film is decidedly dark twisted in its slant, and seems pretty intriguing– the distorted image of the film’s veiled murderer alone is enough to attract fans of the genre! Also, Khoon LTD will also be screening on the same night. Khoon LTD is a short film about two vampires making their home in Mumbai. Low-budget horror at its vibrant best, it looks pretty interesting.

Tasher Desh

The third night offer’s Tasher Desh, a surrealist fairy-tale based upon the play by Rabindrath Tagore. Yet aside from basic themes, the film’s grand psychedelic vision seems radically different from Tagore’s relatively direct style. Dynamic and provocative, Tasher Desh is shaping up to be a powerful visual experience you certainly won’t want to miss.

Good Morning, Karachi

The festival’s featured film, Sabiha Sumar’s Good Morning, Karachi, will be shown on the fourth night, and is one of the real gems of the set. Featuring model Amna Ilyas as a young Pakistani woman living in the city of Karachi, what unfolds is a coming of age tale set against the growing conflict between tradition and modernity, religious extremism and changing identities in a rapidly shifting culture. Direct, earnest, and ultimately optimistic, it offers perspective on social pressures facing a young woman in a society struggling to redefine it’s values. As an added plus, the director will be present for the screening– don’t miss out!

Qissa

The last recommendation goes to Anup Singh’s Qissa, a genre-bending drama concerning gender, the Indian Partition of 1947, and a father’s obsession with having a son. The film features a handful of wins in Toronto, Mumbai and Abu Dhabi, and rounds out the best offerings of this year’s South Asian International Film Festival.

Visit www.saiff.org for festival details.