Despite political riffs and extremist elements on both sides of the border, artists from Pakistan and India continue to push the envelope in an attempt to strengthen cultural ties and encourage the exchange of ideas. Keeping that spirit alive, Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar has collaborated with Indian actress Kalki Koechlin for a feature length documentary that follows the journey of the duo as they travel through the two countries, Pakistan and India.
Azmaish is about two courageous women, Sabiha Sumar and Kalki Koechlin, who set off on an extraordinary journey through India and Pakistan.
CineWatch
Sabiha Sumar’s upcoming documentary Azmaish: Trials of Life features the director alongside Indian actress Kalki Koechlin and follows the journey of the two as they travel through Pakistan and India.
Despite political riffs and extremist elements on both sides of the border, artists from Pakistan and India continue to push the envelope in an attempt to strengthen cultural ties and encourage the exchange of ideas. Keeping that spirit alive, Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar has collaborated with Indian actress Kalki Koechlin for a feature length documentary that follows the journey of the duo as they travel through the two countries, Pakistan and India.
The first official teaser of the documentary, released recently, features the two women trying to acclimatize themselves to each other’s countries. Meeting people from all walks of life, they explore people’s underlying beliefs, the prevailing religious extremism as well as roots of violence. Not only do they dive into tough issues, they also look for solutions that may remove fear and apprehensions to help bring the two countries closer.
Summing up the concept behind the documentary, Sumar notes in the voice-over, “There comes a moment in our lives when we get to choose in whose hands we leave history to be written. But what if we can write it?”
In the film, Sumar and Koechlin travel through the two countries and interact with people from all walks of life.
The reason why Azmaish: Trials of Life is different from other cross-border ventures is that it is focused on common challenges that confront the two nations; it represents the two countries in a way that’s never been witnessed before. Raising funds for the film on Indiegogo, Sumar, in a description of the film, wrote on the site: “In this documentary we aggressively question media’s mystification, give voice to the silent majority and take bold steps towards peace between the two countries.”
Azmaish’s birth has an interesting story behind it as the film was selected for the Eurovision Documentary Group Meeting in 2015 (the pitching session organised by the European Broadcasting Union). The shooting for the film has begun and the makers are currently looking for financial support. While a large amount has come from European broadcasters and organizations, they are looking for further support to complete the production.
Sumar recently took to Twitter and asked people for their contributions, no matter how small the amount is. She tweeted, “We can get to our goal with your help! Don’t worry about contributing small sums.” Koechlin retweeted Sumar saying: “Do watch our trailer and contribute if you can, we still have a film to finish!”
Sumar is an award-winning filmmaker whose first feature film Khamosh Pani won 17 international awards at the Locarno Film Festival and Koechlin is a National Award winning actress of Ek Thi Daayan and Margarita with a Straw fame who has joined Sumar for this extraordinary journey.
The film is being produced under the banner of Vidhi films, jointly founded by Sumar and S. Sathananthan who is the producer of the film. His most notable films include Khamosh Pani, Suicide Warriors and Dinner with the President: A Nation’s Journey.
How soon the film releases depends on how soon funds are generated and the film completes production. For now, all we can say is that Azmaish: Trials of Life will be worth watching whenever it releases.
