Film buffs in Lahore and Gujranwala are in for a treat, as the best of Southasian documentaries and films are coming to town. Now in its 25th year, the Travelling Film Southasia (TFSA) Festival will take place from 22 to 24 September at Olomopolo, Lahore, and on 26 September at The Learning Hub College, Gujranwala.
The festival had visited Pakistan under the banner of Matteela Film Festival in the past. This year’s edition is curated by Farjad Nabi and Olomopolo Media, and will be attended by the founding member of Film Southasia, Kanak Mani Dixit, who is also a founding member of Sapan.
An eclectic selection of award-winning films from different South Asian countries will be on display. Sapan, the Southasia Peace Action Network, is a media partner for the event.
Highlights include:
Taangh (Longing) by Bani Singh
Partly shot in Lahore, this award-winning documentary is set against the backdrop of Partition. Newly independent India’s first hockey team defeats England, their erstwhile coloniser, to win the Gold at the 1948 London Olympics. Six decades later, when Nandy Singh, a member of this iconic team suffers a stroke at the age of 84, his tenacious will to recover inspires his daughter the filmmaker Bani Singh, to go on a journey to discover the champion he was before she was born.
This Stained Dawn by Anam Abbas
Karachi’s feminists organise a woman’s march, coming up against Pakistan’s state, media and radical religious right. Filmmaker Anam Abbas follows the march’s organisers as they negotiate a deeply surveilled, paranoia-inducing, and often physically violent space in the hopes of spurring a revolution for women’s rights. A philosophical work, This Stained Dawn is not just about the “Aurat March”, but about the act of political organising itself.
Moon on the Man directed by Prince Shah
An observational documentary that questions the most basic assumptions of reality, perception and choices. At its heart is a multifaceted personality of Bombay who wrote songs for Guru Dutt amongst other achievements.
Gurkha Girl by Bishal Magar
As news surfaces that Britain is recruiting Nepali girls in its British Gurkha regiments, Dilmaya, a young girl from a mountain village, sees it as a life-changing opportunity and devotes all her time in preparation.
The City that Spoke to Me by Niharika Popli
The film follows two friends – Charu who is deaf and Surbhi, a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). Through a series of conversations, we get a glimpse into the lives of these two young women as they try to assert their space in a city. Interspersed with performances and interviews with a dancer, a drag performer, an actor and an ISL poet, the film explores various forms of visual language and how they help us understand agency, autonomy and care.
Besides the above, a selection of films from young Pakistani filmmakers will also be screened. These include Eid Mubarak by Mahnoor Euceph, The Secret Life by Nadeem Al-Karimi, and Rest in Paper by Puffball Studios.
You can also see films by NCA graduates such as Barzakh by Moiz Tirmizi, Udeekan by Aiza Mustabeen, Shikaaf Bar Noor by Tabish Shargo and B for Nao by Roohi Kashfi.
The festival will also host an exhibition and thought-provoking panel discussions. The discussions are themed around important topics of interest and feature relevant thinkers and experts. These are:
“Film as a Medium for Gender Activism” with Kanwal Khoosat, Sana Jafri, Leena Ghani and Nighat Said Khan
“Bringing South Asia Closer” with Kanak Mani Dixit and Pawas Manandhar
“How to Navigate as a Young Filmmaker” with Farjad Nabi and a group of young filmmakers
“Cultural Diplomacy and the Role of Film” with Sarmad Khoosat, Kanak Mani Dixit and Salima Hashmi
Entry to the festival is free, and everyone is welcome. It is a wonderful opportunity to watch films with family and friends, and network with artists, creatives, thinkers and likeminded people.
Sapan is a volunteer-run initiative. Please consider making a donation to fund our costs.
Southasia Peace Action Network 