‘Made in Pakistan’ documentary dispels Western myopic stereotypes

[Naveed Yaseen]

Schezee Zaidi
Presenting a slice of the multifaceted Pakistani lifestyle, a documentary titled ‘Made in Pakistan’ was screened at National Art Gallery on Saturday. Directed by Nasir Khan and a presentation of Still Waters Productions and Talking Filmain, the documentary dispels the myopic stereotypes spread by Western media about Pakistan being ‘most dangerous place in the world’.

Geo TV Network is the official media partner of the two-day screening of this documentary at NAG. ‘Made in Pakistan’ is successful in portraying the true picture of Pakistan that is often misrepresented to the global masses. After screening in Karachi, the documentary brings a true gift for the people of Islamabad, adding colours to the Independence Day festivities. The documentary is also to be screened today (Sunday) for general public.

Opening up a new movement to bring out the real picture of Pakistan and the lifestyle of the people of this country, the 60 minute documentary by Nasir Khan was motivated by Newsweek’s cover story of October 29, 2007 that declared Pakistan to be “The Most Dangerous Place in the World.” Countering the Western misinformation, the documentary maker Nasir Khan and producers Adil Sher and Rizwan Saeed has made an effort to show a glimpse of Pakistan through the eyes of Pakistanis by documenting the lives of four ordinary Pakistani citizens during the military rule of Pervez Musharraf.

The documentary is all about what things are actually like here in reality. With a theme open to all kinds of interpretations, it leaves one pondering from start to finish, allowing understanding the grey areas present in Pakistan’s socio-political scenario, which are in stark contrast against the blacks and whites presented by the Western media.

Nasir Khan, the director of the film expresses “the sensationalism of men in beards stalking the streets of Islamabad may sell newspapers abroad but the country and its silent urban majority such as the four individuals featured here also hold high stakes in what Pakistan is and what it will become in the future.” Capturing rallies, fashion shows, parties, night life, and anecdotes of everyday life on the street, the documentary depicts the lives of four young professionals working in different fields, who defied the prevailing stereotype of their country by the very choices they made in their lives. The four working professionals Waleed Khalid, a lawyer, Rabia Aamir, a journalist and working mother, Mohsin Waraich, an aspiring politician, and Tara Mehmood, an event and public relations manager representing a multifaceted Pakistan where politics, fashion, religion, debate and tradition intermingle, where the pre-conceived notion of one definition of an Islamic State no longer holds true.

Illustrating the real feelings of people from different segments of the society as their country is called ‘the most dangerous place in the world’, the documentary takes the first step towards a movement already initiated by the younger generation of Pakistan to bring about a change and highlight the positive stories of Pakistani lifestyle through their everyday struggle and denounce the stereotypes that come with belonging to the world’s most dangerous country.

The vivid pictures and moments captured in the documentary is certainly going to be an eye opener for people around the world and show that whatever has been painted by the western media is only the half truth and contrary to the reality on ground.

The first Pakistani documentary ever to get a theatrical release, ‘Made in Pakistan’ re-examines the country through the eyes of four young, middle-class Pakistanis during the emergency imposed by former President Pervez Musharraf in 2007.

The documentary is sans narrator, thus allowing audiences to draw their own unbiased conclusions. Based in the English language, ‘Made in Pakistan’ is set against the backdrop of the declaration of a state of emergency through which the film maker Nasir Khan makes an effort to present a more cohesive image of Pakistan by offering a new window into Pakistan’s educated, middle, upper and younger segments of the society.

‘Made in Pakistan’ has been screened at six international film festivals including Kara, Vancouver and Philadelphia, receiving great acclaim for presenting the true picture of a multifaceted country and its burgeoning vibrant culture.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=192166