The British Council in collaboration with Patakha Pictures and the Scottish Documentary Institute organized a film screening event “Pakistan Stories” in Islamabad the other day.

“Pakistan Stories” sought to support a new generation of female Pakistani documentary filmmakers to enable them to create engaging films that reflect on their society, and Pakistan’s 75 years of independence. 

The event celebrated the journey of the ten selected filmmakers through the programme who worked in pairs over a period of eight weeks and were mentored by experts in Pakistan and Scotland to develop and finance their creative skills, said a news release on Saturday.

Themes of the documentaries were early and forced marriages, the rights of transgenders, women and disability, women in education and the feminist movement in Pakistan.

The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Christian Turner said, on this event, film was a brilliant vehicle for telling stories and giving women voice. 

“Two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and the combining UK and Pakistan expertise could unleash the potential of the next generation of female filmmakers and women and girls across Pakistan”, he said.

https://twitter.com/CTurnerFCDO/status/1540363648597721092

Renowned filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy said during the past week, I witnessed the growth of these ten filmmakers and I knew that we laid the seeds of a movement that would ensure that young women across Pakistan would be empowered to finally to tell their own stories in their own words.

https://twitter.com/CTurnerFCDO/status/1540363659532197888

The Director of Scottish Documentary Institute, Noe Mendelle said that Scottish Documentary Institute was very excited to be part of this collaboration. Working with reality was a humbling experience and female filmmakers were especially well equipped creatively and mentally to engage with emotional, challenging stories that needed to be shared with the rest of the world.