Written by: Farheen Abdullah
Posted on: March 21, 2018 | 
| 中文
Aks International Minorities Festival 2018
In 2014, the Aks International Minorities Festival was established in Pakistan by a group of activists seeking to improve the representation of minorities. Gaining inspiration from an Urdu/Persian word, Aks (Reflection), the festival intends to motivate self-reflection through movie screenings, discussions, debates, educational workshops, art exhibitions and performance art events. Through the events spread out over several weeks, the festival promotes awareness, establishes discourse, addresses human rights issues, and promotes visibility and empowerment of minorities and marginalized groups.
The festival was initiated by the Khawaja Sira (Transgender) community of Pakistan and has taken place annually in Pakistan, across Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi, with specific focus on equal trans representation. Aks has also held an annual festival in Copenhagen since 2015, and set foot in Manchester last year. In Pakistan, Aks challenges it’s attendees to empathize and demand justice for minorities in Pakistan, and thereby strengthens inter-community solidarity by building bridges between the mainstream and marginalized groups.
While the fourth AKS Festival will be carrying on in different parts of the country until 25th March, 2018, the Karachi edition was held from 16th to 20th March. With the theme of ‘Resist,’ this year’s Aks consisted of dialogues, short films, and even an official party with Kami Sid, the notable transgender activist and model. Most of the Karachi events were held at The Second Floor (T2F), and attracted a diverse audience each day. Short films such as ‘The Streets are Ours,’ and ‘Apricot Groves,’ were screened, and a discussion carried out with activist Bindya Rana.
On Sunday evening, an event titled ‘Made in Pakistan’ was held at T2F. While four short films had been scheduled for the day, only two were screened. The most eagerly anticipated film was Hamza Bangash’s ‘Rang Raaz: The Secret Color.’ The film stars Hadi bin Arshad and Amtul Baweja in lead roles, a duo which has been famous in Karachi ever since their theatrical performance ‘Baraf Paani,’ while Kashif Hussain has been cast in a supporting role. The movie is about a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl who fall in love and elope, and are then faced with the consequences of their choices. In terms of direction, Hamza Bangash played to his strengths again, and used a single set for his movie (Sandspit). Even though the screening only gave away an 11-minute teaser, it left the audience curious and excited about the film. However, it was a confusing moment for those who had been looking forward to watching the entire film. The dedication of the team also deserves to be recognized, since they all came to the event to promote their film, and have been raising funds through an online Kickstarter campaign, in order to release it in Pakistan.
The second film of the evening was ‘Sabburah’ by Ibrahim Rana. The film narrates the story of a school-going boy, who is torn between who he is and who society wants him to be. Not only does Ibrahim Rana do an outstanding job at sensitively portraying the issue of identity in the short span of 50 minutes, he also uses advanced techniques within the film which left the audience thoroughly impressed. What particularly facilitated the viewers’ understanding was the alternate use of yellow and grey tints, to differentiate between the past and present. As the mother in the film, Hafsa Awan’s character showed how a woman is torn between being a mother and a wife. Even in moments of anger, she used her expressions to convey emotion rather than raising her voice.
The success of the festival can be gauged by the fact that the current edition is also taking place in cities like Hyderabad and Peshawar. Under the banner of Aks Outreach, the organizers have been visiting local universities and institutions, such as Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) to spread word about the festival. The festival intends to encourage students to implement their academic learning about inclusivity and acceptance in the real world. A new segment in the festival focuses on women as filmmakers and central subjects in films. Through the rigorous efforts of the Aks team, the festival is sure to attract larger audiences each day, and carve out a safe space for minorities to express themselves.
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