Interactive Resource Centre (IRC) held a four-day theatre and documentary film festival last week at the Ali Auditorium in Lahore.

IRC, a nonprofit info media organisation, has been striving to promote empowerment and social development among the marginalised members of the society through art-based initiatives, such as interactive theatre, film and media advocacy.

In interactive theatre, generally towards the end, the protagonist deliberately makes a social or political error and the audience is encouraged to come on stage, become one of the characters change the outcome of the play by correcting the error. Such activities encourage individuals to collectively come up with solutions to the socio-economic problems society faces.

The main inspiration for this method has come from the theories and concept of the Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal. He worked around Forum Theatre, Invisible Theatre and the Theatre of the Oppressed. He evolved his form in the workshops (Forum Theatre) and then took it to the street (Invisible Theatre) removing the distinction between the actor and the spectator.

Members of IRC had met Augusto Boal many years ago at the conference of Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed in Milwaukee Wisconsin USA and their resolve to set up a similar outfit was strengthened by the discussions then and the special message that he sent for them later.

The participants in this 15th festival, all volunteers from different areas of Pakistan consisting of students and community members staged five plays on themes like gender-based violence, masculinity, minority rights and equal citizenship.

Violence against Women by IRC and Mandwa Theatre Group with an all male cast put forward an argument against gender-based violence by trying to understand the complexities of masculinity and how male support was important in breaking such harmful traditions. Kalpana by Jaag Theatre Group presented the problems of the Hindu community in Pakistan with the aim to broaden the idea of what it meant to be a Pakistani. Mirza Sahiban’s Perspective by IRC and Mandwa Theatre Group explored the folk tale of Mirza Sahiban and added a twist by telling the story from the perspective of Sahiban, linking it to masculinity and the limitations placed on women in our society.

Mard ban Mard by Multan Theatre Group used the symbol of a circus to comment on the traditional masculinity that men in Pakistan have to uphold and how it often leads to gender-based violence. Religious Minority Discrimination by Rohi Theatre Group, Multan focused on the various forms of discrimination religious minorities in Pakistan face like education and gaining the respect of a Pakistani citizen.

Formed in 2008, Vasakh International documentary film festival, also an initiative of IRC was established with the specific objective of creating a critical mass by sensitising the youth on issues of human rights, equal citizenship, gender equality and religious tolerance through the medium of documentary films. This festival has provided a forum to aspiring documentary filmmakers to not only display their own work but to a larger exposure to documentary films from around the world.

The 9th Vasakh International Documentary Film Festival showcased a total of 14 films comprising works of both students and professionals from Pakistan as well as international films from Iraq, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Latvia.

Siphon Deodar Ali by Gresham Waste was about an Ismaili soldier from Gilgit-Baltistan, who lost his life fighting the Taliban militants in Swat Valley. The film paid tribute to him and the Ismaili community which sacrificed their lives in the fight against extremism.

Blue Pottery by IRC and Islamia University Bahawalpur was on the preservation and promotion of the craft of blue pottery in Pakistan. No Father by Hasan Raza was on the Hazara Community from Quetta as they have been facing terrorist attacks for many years, leaving them in a constant state of fear and insecurity. Ilm ki Mashal by IRC and Qandeel was about a charity school located in Islamabad that caters to children of refugees. FEICA - A Life with Cartoons by Zahid Gill was on Rafique Ahmed or Feica, the cartoonist/artist who candidly reflected on how since his younger days the outlooks and mindsets within the nation have evolved.

Lahore Landing by Taahira, Jeremy, Andre and Jemimah (Singapore) looked beyond the headlines to explore the lives of Pakistanis. The Songs of Synagogue by Bhushitendu Bhatt (NID, India) focused on Bani Israel community of Ahmedabad comprising a mere 130 members. The film centred on Johnny, who happened to be the caretaker of the only synagogue in Gujarat State.

The Bolshoi Maestro by Sara Gossi and Gabriela Forfota (Latvia) was about Mihail, the main protagonist of the Bolshoi Maestro, his cozy shoe-repairing shop, the playful cat, and the people encountered in Riga’s Maskačka neighbourhood.

Noun by Aida Schlaepfer (Iraq-Swiss) depicted the suffering of Christian Iraqis at the hands of ISIS. It contained first-hand accounts of terrible atrocities, while revealing the courage of the survivors, as well as their hopes and uncertainty about the future. Waria by Nisar Ahmed (Indonesia-Pakistan) moved around a waria (transgender called Aliya) in Indonesia and documented the daily struggles of the protagonist to find acceptance and security within the country. Fragile by Bebbra Mailin (Malaysia) followed  the life of an Indonesian family living in Sabah, Malaysia as told from the perspective of a child, 12-year old Nirwana who held onto the dream of becoming a singer despite family struggle for survival. Nugli and Tunes of Yore by Sawanth Sanghe National Institute of Design, India was an attempt to bring to light the extinction of Halakki Vokalligas, the oral tradition of folk songs that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Being engaged in performances brought forward questions, experiences and issues that might have been difficult to express initially in words. But as Augusto Boal said it was more important to achieve a good debate than a good solution, and in the four-day festival, this did happen in plenty.