Pakistani-Norwegian filmmaker makes it to the Oscars

Pakistan is getting represented at the platform of Academy Awards once again but this time as a Norwegian entry for the best foreign language film.

Pakistani-Norwegian filmmaker Iram Haq’s directorial ‘What Will People Say’ has been chosen as an entry from Norway for the category from which Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy had previously bagged two Oscars for Pakistan.

While this comes as a massive feat for the director, she considers telling a moving story to a wide audience, a bigger achievement than an award.

“When I started making the film, the most important thing for me was to tell a story in an utmost honest manner. And as an individual, I strongly believe that art is never a competition,” she states.

“Of course, it is a big honour for me that my film has been chosen but I want to say that it is not possible to compete in art. Reaching out to people with a story is important,” she adds.

The film centers on the life of a young girl who  encounters the numerous socio-cultural dissimilarities along her journey while also enduring a grim relationship with her parents.

Haq’s previous film ‘I am Yours’ has also been picked out as an official Norwegian entry for the same category in 2013.