Moneeza Hashmi from Hum TV in her presentation Pakistani Cinema: Where it Went Wrong and Why charted the course of Pakistani cinema from its inception to the present day. The greatest challenge in the late 1940s was building something from scratch. The high quality of Pakistani films being produced in that period was attributed to the stiff competition they faced from Indian films produced by a relatively well-established Indian film industry being screened in Pakistan. The first attempts at establishing an alternative cinema were initiated by people like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, A.J. Kardar, Javed Jabbar and Ahmed Bashir. However, such endeavors were not very successful, and, this for Hashmi, was due to the fact that Pakistani audiences were not ready to appreciate socially and politically driven films. Thus, alternative cinema met with an early death. During the 1970s the country was going through unstable and troubled times, and viewers preferred to stay home and watch television than go out for films. The stalwarts and pioneers of Pakistan cinema passed away leaving a vacuum in the industry, and for many, cinema lost its appeal.
Hashmi attributed the decline of Pakistani cinema to all its stakeholders: the filmmakers, filmgoers, as well as the Pakistani government. She explained that viewers have become apathetic and gladly patronize mediocre films; filmmakers do not find any motivation to break the mold; and the government does not consider the nurturing of cinema a priority.
Bandana Rana, a documentary filmmaker from Nepal in her presentation Gender Portrayal in Nepali Films presented an overview of the Nepali cinema, linking it to the social conditions prevalent in the country. Belonging to the Women's Media Forum, Bandana was of the view that since Nepal is an extremely patriarchal society; the gender portrayal in the cinema in Nepal reinforces the stereotypical views held in the country.
Bandana said that cinema first took root in Nepal in the 1960s, however, Nepal produces very few films as audiences prefer to watch Indian films. Moreover, Nepalese films usually cater to men, and this makes the target-audience in Nepal very small. However, there is still hope for revival of Nepali cinema, as the inception of the South Asia Film Festival a few years ago has rekindled interest in filmmaking, especially in socially and politically active cinema. According to her, a few high quality films have been produced in Nepal in the recent past, some by women, and these have been well-received.
The third panelist, Samar Minallah, a Pakistani documentary filmmaker and anthropologist in her presentation Social/Activist Filmmaking as a Tool for Social Change and Development charted the rise of the documentary film as a vehicle for bringing about social change. She traced the origins and the beginnings of the genre, and citing examples from all over the world, built her case for how the documentary has become an effective medium for getting new ideas across to the masses, for spreading awareness, and making a difference by encouraging people to take control of their lives.
She emphasized the need for documentaries to be culturally competent to strike a chord with the target-audience. If the sensitivities and mind-sets of the audience are ignored and a radical view is offered, the audience is more likely to reject it instead of viewing it with an element of understanding. She concluded with a presentation of a Pushto song that pays homage to women. It depicted the hardships faced by women in Pakistan, specifically in the NWFP, and has become one of the most frequently run music videos on regional channels.
The discussant for this panel was Salman Abbasy from the Ministry of Information, Government of Pakistan. He held the rise of commercialism and television as the main contributors to the decline of Pakistani cinema. He said that this is an unusual phenomenon that is not found in any other film industry in the world. He disputed Moneeza Hashmi's comment that held the Government of Pakistan partially responsible for the decline of cinema, and stated that the present Government has played down the role of state-run media and has encouraged private and independent media. He said that the challenge now for the private media is to produce high quality programs since there are no restrictions from the Government on its activities. He insisted that investors and the private media are to blame for their lack of interest in alternative cinema since they privilege their profits over the quality of productions or the promotion of particular social and political values.
The chair, Agha Nasir from Geo TV, maintained that the technical backwardness of the Pakisatni film industry, weak scripts offered, piracy and cable television are significant factors contributing to the decline of cinema in Pakistan. He agreed with Salman Abbasy's view that the government is not responsible for cinema's decline as the government's role is that of a regulating authority. It cannot provide the impetus for a dynamic alternative cinema or even the revival of cinema in Pakistan. According to him, the responsibility of taking this initiative lies with the private media itself.
The panel garnered a very lively question and answer session and participants commented on the role of the state that indirectly influences the themes depicted on television and in films. The lack of training facilities and institutions in Pakistan was highlighted as contributing to the lack of creative and competent people. Government censorship policies were also discussed as inhibiting the creativity of cinema. Limiting the number of foreign films screened, which could have posed as healthy competition for the local cinema, has also encouraged lethargy.
Reported by Azka Tanveer
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