The media landscape in Pakistan has radically altered over the last decade. Independent TV and radio channels have increased in number and as a result audiences have become ever better informed and more aware. At the same time ordinary citizens are beginning to find their voice. Slowly they are becoming a part of the process itself, a provider and distributor of information as opposed to a passive recipient. The possibilities opened up by cheaper technology and alternative distribution strategies have also suggested effective means for transnational information sharing, and story-telling. Micro narratives of the everyday and the personal that undercut the dominant media representations, as well as suggest hope for ever greater empathy and compassion. A politics of the individual in the most revealing and altruistic sense.
Two years ago, in response to these possibilities, the Filmmaking for Social Change project was set up to enable young Pakistani filmmakers to produce documentaries which raise awareness of the negative impact of violent extremism, conflict, social exclusion and poor governance. The films have since been screened to appreciative British audiences at the LIDF09 and LIDF10. To date 16 documentaries have been produced by 45 young filmmakers through hands-on training workshops. These documentaries focus on stories of individual lives affected by bomb blasts and riots in Pakistan, the effects of extremism on arts and culture, interfaith harmony, and poverty in Pakistan.
LIDF Media Forum Karachi is the next stage in the project. A symposium and screening that will debate, celebrate and explore issues facing documentary filmmakers in Pakistan and beyond, and their part in encouraging social change and active citizenship. It will mark the launch of the Filmmaking for Social Change roadshow – an extended period of public screenings and debates across Pakistan that will showcase the films made during the project. Films that tell the stories of Pakistan’s citizens – how they live and work, the challenges they face, and their aspirations for the future.
28th February, 9.00 – 18.00
Avari Towers, Fatima Jinnah Road, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
The forum will focus on:
- A presentation by students of their Filmmaking for Social Change films;
- A celebration of the best of international documentary film presented by the LIDF;
- Knowledge-sharing, and synthesis of emerging practice and the latest thinking on film as a tool for social change;
- The role played by the media in creating the opportunities for citizens to participate, interact, give rein to free and constructive expression, and demands for accountability;
- An appeal to Pakistani filmmakers, broadcasters and NGOs to engage with the LIDF and strengthen international collaboration in the documentary field;
Watch this space for the final programme of events and speakers!
Spaces are limited. To reserve a place or write to tickets@lidf.co.uk