Other-istan shows the lighter side of life in Pakistan

Faraz Waqar’s latest cinematic outing Other-istan – The other face of Pakistan, which aims to portray Pakistan in a positive light (unlike the one that is shown on news channels worldwide), finally has an official trailer and it’s out on social media.

Other-istan shows the lighter side of life in Pakistan and revolves around a desi Pakistani wedding and everything that happens during this period. The whole thing has been shot on an iPhone, which is the remarkable bit.

 “The international audience is familiar with a Pakistan that they see on the news. But is that negative image of Pakistan merely a fiction created by the global news media? I was born and raised in Pakistan and I studied and worked in this country. I want to show the audience, who never visited my country, the real face of Pakistan,” Waqar said, according to the presser.

Going by the trailer, the story is being told from the perspective of “an ordinary Pakistani armed with only an iPhone who takes you on an intimate journey to show you the real face of his country”.

This is Waqar’s first documentary film and has been shot in the manner of an indie film, unlike his previous works of fiction. In a Facebook post, Waqar revealed more about how he managed to shoot the film. He noted, “An iPhone, a selfie stick and a lot of good intentions are the only ingredients that made this film possible. This is my first film that I shot with no crew and no cinematographer to count on, no real equipment and proper camera.”

Other-istan stars Rida Waqar Ali, Naheed Waqar, Tazeen Hussain, Rakhshanda Talat Hussain, and many others and is expected to be presented at international film festivals soon.

As for the director, last year he picked up the award for Best Director at the 3rd Hum Awards for his short film and is the first Pakistani director to make a silent film titled, Meeooww Billi aur World War 3.