The director speaks to Instep about her short film, Deception that has been screened at various international film festivals and has two awards to its credit.
In the past few years our local cinema has not only been revived but it has also made it big on various international platforms. With films like Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2, Teefa In Trouble, Load Wedding and Parwaaz Hai Junoon being released internationally, a number of Pakistani feature-length films and short films, such as Asim Abbasi’s Cake and Nanu Aur Main, among others have also been screened at different foreign film festivals and won awards in different categories.
Joining the list is Pakistani short film Deception, helmed by young filmmaker Ruhina Nasir. Deception has recently been screened at various international film festivals and has picked up two international awards: Best Nano Film of the Month at AAB International Film Festival in India and (just last month) the award for Best Two Minutes Short at Bengal’s International Short Film Festival, also in India.
“Deception has already been screened in 10 international film fests including The Buddha International Film Festival (TBIFF), India; Changing Face International Film Festival, Australia; Rome Independent PRISMA Film Awards; MOTIF Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland; Queen Palm International Film Festival in California, USA and AAB International Film Festival, India among others,” Ruhina Nasir told Instep in an exclusive interview.
The short film that revolves around a vegetable vendor who uses deceptive means to earn money, was basically written around Ramazan, according to Ruhina Nasir, who is currently working as an assistant producer at GrayScale Production Company.
“Actually the basic concept of Deception was given by one of our team mates at the company, Zulqarnain Haider, who is the co-writer and DoP of the short film. Both Zulqarnain and I wrote the story in a way that it instantly got approved and we started shooting for it. The two-minute long short film was shot at Empress Market in Karachi, which was very chaotic,” she shared.
What inspired her to venture into filmmaking? “I actually wanted to be an investigative journalist, just like my father. It fascinated me. But then I realized that these thriller, crime and mystery movies, especially the ones based on factual incidents, are quite intriguing as well. So I opted to major in media science in film and TV,” she stated.
According to the director, filmmakers have the liberty to not only write stories, be it real or fictional, but also the power to show their stories on the big screen. “I firmly believe the bigger the screen, the more impact it has.”
When asked about the criterion that goes into choosing a film at international film festivals, Ruhina informed that every festival has its own criterion. There is a certain timeline that one has to take into account before submitting a film. And then there are festivals that are either divided into categories, such as short film, feature film and documentary; they can be focused on certain topics and themes that could range from social issues to fiction. Deception was submitted through proper channel after making registrations and following the guidelines.
“After sending it to a number of festivals, by the end of May 2018 we got to know that it has been officially selected to be screened at TBIFF, India. To be honest this news was bigger than any award. It was an achievement in itself,” she asserted.
She stated, when asked about the challenges that went into making a film like Deception, “I think if you don’t come across challenges you will not be able to learn anything and go forward especially in a field like this. You just have to know how to cope with difficult situations and tackle them wisely. I also faced a few issues where I came across things like ‘what does she know about filmmaking’ and calling my stories trash behind my back. In fact they would question my skills.”
She added further, “But I have been blessed to have amazing people around me. My family and the amazing team that I am working with have been really supportive. Then my friend, university mate and assistant producer at GrayScale Almas Sheikh always has my back.”
On winning two awards for her short film, Ruhina said that it still feels unreal to have won not just one but two awards. “I can’t describe the feeling. It certainly is a great achievement for me.”
As for upcoming projects, she said that there is something in the pipeline. “At the moment the analysis of a script is underway. That is also based on a social issue. I can’t reveal much at the moment but will update you as soon as it goes on floors,” Ruhina Nasir said on a parting note.
