On the 18th day of the ongoing World Culture Festival 2025, a series of events took place, including film screenings, fine arts activities, a music workshop, and the Urdu theatre play “The Dead River”.
On this occasion, French Ambassador to Pakistan Nicolas Galey, along with his wife, Camelia Galey, visited the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi. President Arts Council Muhammad Ahmed Shah warmly welcomed the French ambassador and took him on a tour of various sections of the council where the cultural activities were in full swing. French Consul General Alexis Chahtahtinsky, Director of Alliance Française Karachi Emmanuel Bruerec, and Chairman Alhamra Arts Council Razi Ahmed were also present.
During the visit, Ambassador Nicolas Galey said that the global cultural exhibitions and diverse artistic programmes presented at the World Culture Festival play an important role in connecting cultures around the world. He praised the efforts of the Arts Council of Pakistan, noting that French mural artist Shifoome is painting the Arts Council’s wall with beautiful cultural colours. He added that the mural symbolises Pakistan–France friendship and cultural harmony and is a matter of pride.
Earlier, the 18th day of the festival began with a workshop by Kenyan artist Onesmus Okamar, who taught painting techniques to the students of the Arts Council. Presiden Ahmed Shah said that these students are among the finest talent at the council, and such promising young artists are rarely seen in other institutes of Pakistan. Artist Onesmus Okamar said that wherever he feels something is incorrect, he erases and recreates it, always aiming to produce a fine piece of art.
Five films were screened at the festival, representing Portugal, Bulgaria, Albania, Denmark, and Italy. From Portugal, director Henrique Mesquita Montes’ film “Midnight, Blue” was screened, revolving around the silence and solitude of the night, a visually stunning and emotionally rich film. Bulgaria’s film “Beaujolais”, directed by Irena Grigorova Daskalova, was an experimental work exploring the impact of memories. Albania presented “Through Xhelo’s Eyes “, directed by Besa Tusha, which depicted the story of a visually impaired child. From Denmark, the light-hearted and humorous short film “Service Bus”, directed by Elmer Mikael Lødemel, was shown. Italy’s film “Invisible Threads” highlighted the hidden connections between strangers in the digital age.
A music workshop was also conducted by Kenyan musicians Liboi and Komora. Their collaborative training session filled the Arts Council students with the colors of music. Addressing the participants, Liboi said that her interest lies in traditional cultural instruments and she incorporates her African heritage into her music. “Chand is part of our cultural tradition; our voices are powerful, and whether it is Pakistani music or African music, there is always a connection,” she stated. She added that people like President Ahmed Shah encourage artists from around the world, and that the Arts Council is currently collaborating with Imad and Diana from Argentina on a documentary project. Komora added vibrant cultural rhythms using the sound guitar, saying that “Chand” is a form of spiritual traditional music. He expressed that being in Pakistan felt like being in his own homeland. The festival concluded with the Urdu tragedy theatre play The Dead River, directed by Shah Nawaz Bhatti, which was attended by Provincial Minister for Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah.
On this occasion, Sardar Ali Shah said that organizing a global cultural festival at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi is a remarkable achievement. He stated that such festivals play an important role in countering religious extremism. Speaking about the play, he said that writer Abdul Qadir Junejo had defended the historical cases of the rivers Hakra, Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab. It was the British who first blocked the natural flow of these rivers, which is why the region continued to suffer. He added that the “Dhatan” camel mentioned in the play refers to the one Rano rode to meet Momal.
The minister praised the performance, saying that the theatre production was excellent and that the director had successfully connected the story with present-day realities The story of the play is adapted from Abdul Qadir Junejo’s novel The Dead River, based on Sindh’s historic river Haakro. Once known by many names throughout history, the river appears on stage in all its past glory. The performance is not only a tale of a river drying up, but also a painful metaphor for the loss of life, memory, and continuity. Artists Zubair Baloch, Yasmeen Usman, Mati Mukhtalif, Tooba Naeem, Omeed Akbar, and Ali Bakhsh captivated the audience with their outstanding performances.