Written by: Haroon Shuaib
Posted on: March 17, 2020 | 
| 中文
Pari
‘Sitara (Star) – Let Girls Dream’, is a 16 min animated short, written and directed by two-time Academy award winner and Pakistani Director, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Chinoy got her Oscars for ‘Saving Face’ in 2012 and for ‘A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness’ in 2016. In ‘Sitara’ Chinoy takes her mastery of storytelling through animated cinema, as she had done in the feature length trilogy “3 Bahadur”. But with Sitara, she brings out the poignant social issue of child marriage in this short film.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinnoy
‘Sitara’, available on Netflix, is set in the old city of Lahore of the 70s, and has a charm that captures the audience from the first few frames. The camera opens on a rooftop during a colourful morning in Lahore, when two sisters, Pari and Sitara, share a sweet secret. As Pari folds a paper to make an aeroplane, the audience also learn of, and cannot help but be charmed by Pari’s dream of becoming a pilot. We see two paper planes launched in air as Pari’s eyes twinkle with hopes, and the gleeful Sitara chuckles.
Pari is an inspiration and role model for her baby sister, while Pari’s personal hero is Amelia Earhart. Their dainty elegant mother, another endearing character is introduced early on. But the tension in the family starts to build up when we see the dominating, towering father figure bringing home a set of bridal shoes for young Pari. Her life takes an unexpected turn as traditions, social and cultural power structures favouring patriarchy begin to influence her life decisions.
The film is vibrant but silent, and that works as its biggest strength. Not only does the silence give it a universal appeal, but also puts emphasis on the array of emotions and thoughts that the viewer experiences in those 16 minutes. The costumes, the expressions, the settings, and the little nuances communicate so much more to the viewer than any spoken word could have. The viewer shares the aspirations of Sitara and her sister, and is left heartbroken when their dreams are shattered.
Pari in Her Wedding Dress
While the film ends on a hopeful note, the proverbial question as to why child marriages exist today remain. So many underage girls are married without a consideration for their wellbeing and aspirations, and the question that haunts the audience is how to end this unjust practice, way after the credits roll. Even though child marriage is declining globally, there are still 12 million girls married each year. According to UNICEF’s statistics, 3% of all girls in Pakistan are married below the age of 15, and 21% are married below the age of 18, although the numbers could be larger in reality. The areas which witness the most child marriages are rural Sindh and the Tribal Areas of Pakistan.
A Scene From Sitara
‘Sitara’ was produced by Imke Fehrmann, who has also been the visual effects producer for blockbuster films, such as Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, Star Wars - The Last Jedi, and Justice League. Fehrmann wanted to make this film because she considered the topic close to her heart, and felt that it was a story that needed to be told. In the words of Chinoy, writer and director of Sitara, “It’s the story of a society and the burdens of a family, and about succumbing to a patriarchal culture, and the impact it has on that tiny family.”
The powerful music score for the film has been composed by Laura Karpman, a four-time Emmy Award winner, and composer of the Grammy-winning album, Ask Your Mama. “Animated films are their own strange little beast... in that, there is a specificity to the writing because one has to really follow the action closely. The music must tell the whole story of the film,” Karpman opined.
Sitara
Child marriage is a problem still faced today by many societies, not just ours. It carries grave physical and mental effects on the children involved, their wider communities, and societies. Tackling this problem requires long-term efforts for social and attitudinal change involving families, communities, civil society, legal reforms, and enforcement of laws and policies that discourage and prohibit such child marriages. Films like ‘Sitara’ are important to begin difficult conversations about child marriages with both young and old, in order to increase awareness and stop such practices in the future. It’s a must watch!
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