Kara Film Festival, Karachi

4TH KARAFILM FESTIVAL SCREENING SCHEDULE
DECEMBER 3-12 2004
Last Updated November 30, 2004; 1:32 a.m. (P.S.T)

FRIDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2004

3:00 DAY PASS
MAQBOOL (FEATURE, 132 MIN, INDIA)
Riveting adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, set in the Bombay underworld
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH ACTORS IRFAN KHAN AND OM PURI

6:30 PRIME TIME I
DHOOP (FEATURE, 110 MIN, INDIA)
The poignant saga of parents battling corruption in their attempt to keep the memory of their son alive
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH ACTOR OM PURI

9:30 PRIME TIME II
THE TERMINAL (FEATURE, 132 MIN, USA)
Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster starring Tom Hanks about a stateless man stuck in an airport for years

SATURDAY, 4 DECEMBER 2004

11:00 DAY PASS
CITY GATES (DOCUMENTARY, 14 MIN, BRAZIL)
Memories of Sao Paolo’s downtown in the 1940s and 1950s
SAO LUIZ CEMETARY (DOCUMENTARY, 13 MIN)
Reflections on living and dying on the edge of a big city

11.45 DAY PASS
“WE’RE BRITISH BUT…” PART ONE (SHORTS, 99 MIN, UK)
SKIN DEEP; ONE PLUS ONE; BRICK LANE; HONG KONG, LIVERPOOL, PENZANCE; LATIFAH AND HIMLI’S NOMADIC UNCLE; WISH; SARI; TRAINERS
1:45 DAY PASS
RE-INVENTING THE TALIBAN (DOCUMENTARY, 54 MIN, PAKISTAN)
A personal perspective on the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR SHARMEEN OBAID

3.00 DAY PASS
MANY PEOPLE, MANY DESIRES (DOCUMENTARY, 46 MIN, INDIA)
The politics of identity in Bangalore
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR T. JAYASHREE

4.00 DAY PASS
A DECENT SAMOSA, YA! (DOCUMENTARY, 48 MIN, INDIA)
Asian musicians’ pulsating experiments with multiculturalism in England
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR NATASHA BADHWAR

5:00 DAY PASS
SHORTS I
2:59 AM; A TRIBUTE TO YOUSIF MACHHI; BAIG CITY; EZULA; FOOD FOR THOUGHT; GOD LIKES WATCHING TV; LUST; MY RED TRAINERS; NEW AGE; NOISE; O SAY CAN YOU SEE; THE OTHER SIDE; SELF PORTRAIT; VALUE ADDED CRICKET; YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORLD
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTORS

7:30 PRIME TIME I
ROG (FEATURE, 125 MIN, INDIA)
WORLD PREMIERE tale of a cop falling obsessively in love with a woman whose murder he is investigating
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH PRODUCER POOJA BHATT, WRITER MAHESH BHATT AND ACTOR IRFAN KHAN

10:15 PRIME TIME II
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS (FEATURE, 97 MIN, UK)
Stephen Frears’ critically acclaimed film with Audrey Tautou as a Turkish migrant in London

SUNDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2004

1:00 DAY PASS / CHILDREN’S PASS
SHREK 2 (ANIMATED FEATURE, 92 MIN, USA)
Blockbuster sequel sees Shrek battling the fairy godmother and the king to remain married to Princess Fiona
CHILDREN ALLOWED

2:45 DAY PASS
SHORTS II
THE KISS, LIGHT ME UP, TIMOR LORO-SAE, ZE AND THE PENGUIN, CLARA HAS A LITTLE MOUSE
4:00 OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
TALK BY MAHESH BHATT ON THE FUTURE FOR CO-PRODUCTIONS AND INDEPENDENT PRODUCTIONS

5:30 DAY PASS
CROSSING THE LINES - KASHMIR, PAKISTAN, INDIA (DOCUMENTARY, 47 MIN, PAKISTAN)
WORLD PREMIERE of a look at Kashmir with new eyes
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR PERVEZ HOODBHOY

7:00 PRIME TIME I
WHITE NOISE (FEATURE, 100 MIN, UK)
WORLD PREMIERE of a film that takes a modern look at love, marriage, family and Mumbai
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR VINTA NANDA, ACTOR KOEL PURIE, AND PRODUCERS MOHANJIT SINGH AND SEVY ALI

9:30 PRIME TIME II
RAGHU ROMEO (FEATURE, 99 MIN, INDIA)
National Film Award-winning madcap adventure with Raghu the waiter who believes television is reality
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR RAJAT KAPOOR

MONDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2004

11:00 DAY PASS
SOME ROOTS GROW UPWARDS (DOCUMENTARY, 52 MIN, INDIA)
Questioning the relevance of theatre to our times

12:00 DAY PASS
NEE ENGEY – WHERE ARE YOU? (DOCUMENTARY, 152 MIN, INDIA)
A celebration of the art and practitioners of Shadow Puppetry
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR R.V. RAMANI

3:00 DAY PASS
SATORI (SHORT, 40 MIN, PAKISTAN)
Stylish Pakistani take on Hong Kong revenge films
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR AND ACTRESS AAMINAH HAQ

4:15 DAY PASS
DHUNDALKA (SHORT, 50 MIN, PAKISTAN)
Twisted story of deception and surprises based on H.H. Munro’s short story ‘Dusk’
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ANWER HUSSAIN JAFRI AND ACTOR SAIFE HASAN

5:30 DAY PASS
HUM (FEATURE, 72 MIN, PAKISTAN)
The story of the disintegration of a marriage through the small details of everyday life
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR AYESHAH ALAM AND ACTRESS SANIA SAEED

7:00 PRIME TIME I
HYDERABAD BLUES 2 (FEATURE, 100 MIN, INDIA)
The sequel to the cult hit with the characters six years later, about to have their life turned upside down
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH PRODUCER AND ACTRESS ELAHE HIPTOOLA

9:30 PRIME TIME II
FROM ZERO TO TEN (FEATURE, 99 MIN, ITALY)
A weekend in hedonistic Rimini for four friends in midlife crisis at age 36
FOLLOWED BY Q&A ON CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN CINEMA WITH ITALIAN CONSUL BRUNO PASQUINO

TUESDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2004

11:00 DAY PASS
IN THE EYES (DOCUMENTARY, 24 MIN, USA)
The faces of New York City

11:45 DAY PASS
HUNTING FOR CONSERVATION (DOCUMENTARY, 13 MIN, PAKISTAN)
Trophy hunting the endangered ibex in order to protect it
INDUS BLIND DOLPHIN RESCUE (DOCUMENTARY, 15 MIN, PAKISTAN)
The rescue and release of an endangered mammal indigenous to Pakistan

12:45 DAY PASS
THE GARAGE SCHOOL (DOCUMENTARY, 17 MIN, PAKISTAN)
One woman’s dream to provide basic education to society’s poor
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR MAHERA OMAR

1:15 DAY PASS
BORN TO SING (DOCUMENTARY, 44 MIN, INDIA)
A musical journey with four mirasans battling to keep their rich oral traditions alive

2:00 DAY PASS
CARDBOARD DAYS (DOCUMENTARY, 51 MIN, ARGENTINA)
Award winning film on globalization’s impoverishing effect on Argentina

3:00 DAY PASS
SHORTS III
CHAMBER 8; PARIAH; AN ACTOR PREPARES
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTORS

4:15 DAY PASS
RANI HINDUSTANI (DOCUMENTARY, 24 MIN, INDIA)
A female truck driver is a rebel against social traditions in more ways than one
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR PRITI CHANDRIANI

5:00 DAY PASS
DISBELIEF (DOCUMENTARY, 105 MIN, RUSSIA-USA)
Was the bombing in a Moscow apartment block in 1999 really the work of Chechen separatists?
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ANDREI NEKRASOV AND PRODUCER OLGA KONSKAIA

7:00 PRIME TIME I
IN OTHELLO (FEATURE, 103 MIN, INDIA)
Life begins to imitate art while putting on a desi version of the Shakespearean classic

9:30 PRIME TIME II
ZELARY (FEATURE, 150 MIN, CZECH REPUBLIC-SLOVAKIA-AUSTRIA)
In1940s Czechoslovakia, a nurse saves a life and finds a husband. 2004 Oscar nominee.

WEDESDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2004

11:00 DAY PASS
LIVING IN COLOUR (DOCUMENTARY, 43 MIN, USA)
An upbeat and light-hearted look at second generation South Asian youths in LA

11:45 DAY PASS
THE ALGEBRA OF WATER (DOCUMENTARY, 48 MIN, INDIA)
Urban misuse of water and its ramifications on the lives of rural dwellers

12:45 DAY PASS
WORDS ON WATER (DOCUMENTARY, 85 MIN, INDIA)
The resistance against the construction of a large dam in the Narmada Valley

2:15 DAY PASS
PANI (FEATURE, 70 MIN, PAKISTAN)
A family’s fateful journey from their desert home to the metropolis in search of the most basic of requirements – water

3:45 DAY PASS
LA WAKHT’AICH - UNTIL WHEN? (DOCUMENTARY, 76 MIN, USA-PALESTINE)
Life in Dheisheh Refugee Camp during the current Intifada in Occupied Palestine
500 DUNAMS ON THE MOON (DOCUMENTARY, 47 MIN, USA-FRANCE-PALESTINE)
A critical look at the art of dispossession and the creativity of the dispossessed

6:00 DAY PASS
"WE'RE BRITISH BUT..." PART TWO (SHORTS, 87 MIN, UK)
RAJ OR RADGE?; SAFAR; A PORTRAIT OF MR. PINK; WE’VE LIVED HERE ALL OUR LIVES; DIM SUM

8:00 PRIME TIME I
THE MIRACLE (FEATURE, 93 MIN, ITALY)
A troubled young boy recovers from an accident and discovers an ability to heal

10:15 PRIME TIME II
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING (FEATURE, 100 MIN, UK-LUXEMBOURG)
The story behind Vermeer’s most famous painting. Nominated for 3 Oscars.

THURSDAY, 9 DECEMBER 2004

11:00 DAY PASS
PATRIOT ACTS (DOCUMENTARY, 58 MIN, USA)
The human cost of the Bush administration’s Special registration immigration program

12:00 DAY PASS
OUT OF STATUS (DOCUMENTARY, 11 MIN, USA)
The curtailment of civil liberties in the name of national security for Muslims in post-9/11 America

12:15 DAY PASS
ROZ QAZA - A TRUE STORY OF A HIBAKUSHA (DOCUMENTARY, 30 MIN, PAKISTAN)
A docu-drama based on the true story of an atomic bomb survivor from Hiroshima
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR AISHA GAZDAR

1:15 DAY PASS
A SILENT KILLER (DOCUMENTARY, 23 MIN, INDIA)
Slow poisoning through arsenic-contaminated water
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR DHANANJOY MANDAL

2:00 DAY PASS
A CERTAIN LIBERATION (DOCUMENTARY, 38 MIN, BANGLADESH)
Madness can sometimes liberate

3:15 DAY PASS
SHORTS IV
BY THE WAY; DON’T TOUCH ME WHEN I START TO FEEL SAFE; HORRORESQUE RETRO BATTLE FEST; NO DOWRY NO DATE; SWAN SONG; THE TREE OFFICER
FOLLOWED BY A PRESENTATION ON THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION AND CO-PRODUCTION BY SCOTTISH DELEGATION

5:00 DAY PASS
OUR TIMES (DOCUMENTARY, 78 MIN, IRAN)
A documentary on women in contemporary Iran against the backdrop of the 2001 presidential elections
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR RAKHSHAN BANI-ETEMAD

7:00 PRIME TIME I
LET’S ENJOY (FEATURE, 115 MIN, INDIA)
Armaan Pratap Singh returns to India after four years in the US and attempts to seek answers to an identity crisis by throwing a lavish farm-house party
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH CO-DIRECTOR ANKUR TEWARI

9:30 PRIME TIME II
THE SOUL’S HAVEN (FEATURE, 106 MIN, ITALY)
A small community unites when the American-owned manufacturing plant it depends on for survival announces plans to close

FRIDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2004

3:00 DAY PASS
KI JANA MEIN KAUN (DOCUMENTARY, 30 MIN, PAKISTAN)
A journey through shrines in Sindh commonly visited by both Hindus and Muslims
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR SHARJIL BALOCH

3:45 DAY PASS
DEATH IN THE GARDEN OF PARADISE; LITTLE BIG HEAD; ORIGINAL BOB; SAMOVAR; SEPARATED BY LIGHT
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR HAMMAD KHAN

5:30 DAY PASS
JAVAID SHAMPOO (FEATURE, 71 MIN, PAKISTAN)
Precarious dreams of stardom as fragile as soap bubbles
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTORS FAISAL REHMAN AND BILAL MINTO

7:15 PRIME TIME I
THE MAY LADY (FEATURE, 88 MIN, IRAN)
A divorced mother must choose between her own need for companionship and her teenage son’s fear of losing her love
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR RAKHSHAN BANI-ETEMAD

9:45 PRIME TIME II
GOODBYE LENIN (FEATURE, 121 MIN, GERMANY)
A woman emerges from a coma in former East Berlin and her son must pretend the Wall is still up to reduce the risk of shock for his staunchly Communist mother. Winner of 6 European Awards

SATURDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2004

11:00 DAY PASS / CHILDREN’S PASS
LITTLE VARJU AND FRIENDLY FLUTE (SHORT, 16 MIN, INDIA)
Little Varju’s crooked uncle tricks him into working for him, but the forest animals take his side and help him out of his predicament
HEDA HODA (FEATURE, 84 MIN, INDIA)
A little boy is given the responsibility of grazing camels for his father when they stray across the border from India into Pakistan. He must find a way to retrieve them!
CHILDREN ALLOWED

1:00 DAY PASS
ABOUT BAGHDAD (DOCUMENTARY, 142 MIN, IRAQ-BAGHDAD)
Iraqi poet Sinan Antoon returns to Baghdad after twelve years of exile and discovers a country with a still uncertain future
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ADAM SHAPIRO

2:45 DAY PASS
BUTTERFLY (SHORT, 23 MIN, INDIA-PAKISTAN)
A young doctor must examine his alluring patient through a hole cut-out in a large white sheet
CUTS IN CONVERSATIONS (SHORT, 19 MIN, PAKISTAN)
WORLD PREMIERE Two strangers discover their spouses are cheating on them
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR USMAN ZUBERI

3:45 DAY PASS
FINAL S0LUTION (DOCUMENTARY, 149 MIN, INDIA)
A study of the politics of hate documenting the changing face of right-wing politics in Gujarat. Winner of Special Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR RAKESH SHARMA

7:00 PRIME TIME I
UNDER THE SKIN OF THE CITY (FEATURE, 92 MIN, IRAN)
Tuba, a hardworking wife, mother and factory-worker, struggles to keep her family together
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR RAKHSHAN BANI-ETEMAD

9:15 PRIME TIME II
SALAKHEIN (FEATURE, 150 MIN, PAKISTAN)
A young man raises his voice against unfair means at college examinations and is ironically forced by circumstance into a life of crime
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR SHEHZAD RAFIQUE

SUNDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2004

11:00 DAY PASS
INJUSTICE (DOCUMENTARY, 98 MIN, UK)
Seven years in the making, this film documents the struggles for justice by families of people that have died at the hands of police officers in the UK. Winner Best Documentary Award at the London Film Festival

1:15 DAY PASS
RAQSAN (DOCUMENTARY, 32 MIN, PAKISTAN)
Kathak exponent Fasih ur Rehman examines the meaning of the dance form and its history and development
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ASIM RAZA

2:15 DAY PASS
THE FORGOTTEN SONG (Bhooli Hui Hoon Datsaan) (DOCUMENTARY, 90 MIN, PAKISTAN)
WORLD PREMIERE A tribute to the Lollywood film industry, this documentary is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive look at the demise of the film industry in Pakistan
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ADNAN MALIK

4:45 PRIME TIME I
YASMIN (FEATURE, 87 MIN, UK)
Independent, westernized Yasmin agrees to an arranged marriage to please her widowed father and is taken along on a journey of re-evaluation of her own culture and values

*** PLEASE NOTE: FILMS “THE BOURNE SUPREMACY”, “COLLATERAL”, AND “SHARK TALE” WILL NOT BE SCREENED DUE TO NON-CONFIRMATION OF THE AVAILABILITY OF PRINTS

Are you going Irem?

indian fillusm konsi dekha rahay hain :D
No DDLLJJ ?

^ I see Maqbool, Dhoop, and Hyd. Blues 2. I want to see the Hyd. Blues series but can't find it here at the video store. Dhoop I think is quite depressing.

I thought the festival is doing a real good job at stimulating the art scene in Karachi. Every city of Pakistan deserves a festival like this, though more "competent" entries, and not just premieres of Bollywood trash would contribute it to making it a more competent festival.

Hyderabad Blues? what the heck is that?
Ray Charles? Muddy Waters? Howling Wolf kinda music?

bollybuster - have u been to this before? i have never been. if u go thru the schedule there’s a lot more than bolly trash (i too dont like that kinda stuff). a lot of this stuff is by budding paki filmmakers tho and there’s nice stuff from iran and other countries as well.

Rb - i dont like dark/gloomy/underworld movies like hyd blues etc yaar. khair yah im going coz hamaray office kee taraf se we r being taken there for free as a departmental outing :smiley: havent decided which movie we r going for tho.

we had to give our top choices to our boss. my top 6 choices in order of preference:

4:45 PRIME TIME I
YASMIN (FEATURE, 87 MIN, UK)
Independent, westernized Yasmin agrees to an arranged marriage to please her widowed father and is taken along on a journey of re-evaluation of her own culture and values

5:30 DAY PASS
HUM (FEATURE, 72 MIN, PAKISTAN)
The story of the disintegration of a marriage through the small details of everyday life
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR AYESHAH ALAM AND ACTRESS SANIA SAEED

2:15 DAY PASS
THE FORGOTTEN SONG (Bhooli Hui Hoon Datsaan) (DOCUMENTARY, 90 MIN, PAKISTAN)
WORLD PREMIERE A tribute to the Lollywood film industry, this documentary is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive look at the demise of the film industry in Pakistan
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ADNAN MALIK

11:00 DAY PASS
LIVING IN COLOUR (DOCUMENTARY, 43 MIN, USA)
An upbeat and light-hearted look at second generation South Asian youths in LA

3:00 DAY PASS
KI JANA MEIN KAUN (DOCUMENTARY, 30 MIN, PAKISTAN)
A journey through shrines in Sindh commonly visited by both Hindus and Muslims
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH DIRECTOR SHARJIL BALOCH

7:00 PRIME TIME I
LET’S ENJOY (FEATURE, 115 MIN, INDIA)
Armaan Pratap Singh returns to India after four years in the US and attempts to seek answers to an identity crisis by throwing a lavish farm-house party
FOLLOWED BY Q&A WITH CO-DIRECTOR ANKUR TEWARI

5Abi :hehe: nai no DDLJ :smiley:

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by 5Abi: *
Hyderabad Blues? what the heck is that?
Ray Charles? Muddy Waters? Howling Wolf kinda music?
[/QUOTE]

i think this movie is abt the indian underworld or something. prolly really boring :D

Nice choices Irem :k: Esp. Yasmin and Living in Color. I wish I was in Khi and could go :slight_smile:

Hyd. Blues is a light hearted comedy. But I read that HB 1 was better than HB2.

Hyderabad Blues

http://www.planetbollywood.com/Film/hblues.html

It’s made by Nagesh Kukunoor who made “Teen Deewarain”..

Hyderabad Blues 2 – Rearranged Marriage is a sequel

HYDERABAD BLUES 2 is about a marriage going on the rocks for a supposedly extra-marital affair. The film has its share of interesting moments, but the way the subject has been treated, it caters to a very niche audience.

http://www.indiafm.com/reviews/04/hyderadblues2/index.shtml

[QUOTE]
Originally posted by irem: *
**bollybuster
* - have u been to this before? i have never been. if u go thru the schedule there's a lot more than bolly trash (i too dont like that kinda stuff). a lot of this stuff is by budding paki filmmakers tho and there's nice stuff from iran and other countries as well.
[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately no, because it's never there while I'm in Karachi! From what I've heard and read, it does involve some decent showings of Pakistani features. They have multiplex screenings for feature films, like they did for Laaj last time. But the print and sound were supposedly not up to the mark.

bollybuster..hmm i c…i guess i’ll tell u guys how it went after i go there :slight_smile:

nicols_john i c, thanks for the info

RB :smiley:
acha i havent seen HB1. hmm its comedy? for some reason i thought it was abt the indian underworld :smack: coz they had those bombay blues i think which was abt the bombay underwld

HB x are not violent movies. they are comedy and about NRI comming to india and getting married. mostly it shows the culture of hyd.
THe director did a preety decent job, he only directed 3 movies. the best one i like is “3 Deewarain”, worth watching.

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by kaka_in_usa: *

HB x are not violent movies. they are comedy and about NRI comming to india and getting married. mostly it shows the culture of hyd.
THe director did a preety decent job, he only directed 3 movies. the best one i like is "3 Deewarain", worth watching.
[/QUOTE]

ohhh

in that case i wudve included those in my choices

o well

i'd recomend Maqbool.

Hyderabad Blues 2 is boring.

lots of nice sounding stuff on their, i wouldnt mind a day pass if i were in karachi. :D

3 Deewarein was a good movie :k:

If any one is interested in comedies like Jane bhi Do yaro ......... i recommand them RAGHU ROMEO (actor- Vijay Raaj ///// Dir- Rajat Kapoor)

god job Irem, thanks for posting the schedules and all. i’m pretty excited about this. the 4th KFF is gojng to be big and in a few mor years this is going to be a real big thing. this december we karachians have quite some thngs to look out for. the jewel in the crown exhibit at Mohatta place, the KFF, and the Dawn lifestyles which will also have dog and cat shows! man o man i really need to get out there and strat having fun! :smiley:
magar time and crap :smak2:

Irem, btw, any ideas what the deal about the tickets/passes for the 4KFF is…?
i really ant to go watch dhoop, it sounds interesting, and does it star Om Puri? it’ll definitely be a must watch! Om Puri is awsome.

Haris sorry for the late reply

the only info i have abt tickets is that i think the day pass is for 300 rupees lekin not sure even abt that and thats coz wo jo number dya hua hae website pe us pe koi uthaTa hi nai :smack:

p.s. thanks all for replies/recommendations :slight_smile: