Aamina Sheikh and Mohib MIrza in a still from Seedlings( Lamha)
The Pakistani feature film Lamha (English title: Seedlings) will be premiering at the New York City International Film Festival on Aug. 10 with a second screening on Pakistan Day, Aug. 14.
Along with the opportunity of being screened in the Big Apple, the film has bagged nominations for the following: Best Picture, Best Director (Mansoor Mujahid), Best Actress in a Lead Role (Aamina Sheikh), Best Actor in a Lead Role (Mohib Mirza), Best Actor in a supporting Role (Gohar Rasheed) and Best Original Screenplay (Summer Nicks).
Saman Malik sat down with the film’s Pakistani-Canadian producer Meher Jaffri who is ecstatic at the thought of premiering in one of foremost art and film hubs of the world.
SM: Tell me a bit about yourself. How did your interest in film develop, and which filmmakers are inspirations to you?
MJ: My interest in film probably comes from my long-term fascination for theatre and the creative arts in general. I’ve always been a bit of an observer and moving pictures as an audio- visual medium with its ability to rouse and resonate emotionally is so fantastic, that it’s always drawn me to it. I’ve been hot for Mira Nair for quite sometime, probably since I watched Monsoon Wedding back in the day. I love how she infuses her brand of mischief in all her movies and portrays the South Asian narrative in a universal sort of language while maintaining the cultural nuances and characteristics beautifully.
I studied Business at McGill University in Montreal, as my father was adamant that a career in the creative arts was not practical in nature. Though my business degree has gone a long way to help me establishing Bodhicitta Works (with partners Summer Nicks and Craig Peter Jones), I am pretty adamant about going to film school to study film. I believe every craft needs certain training and discipline attributed to it in order to embrace it holistically.
SM: Could you tell our readers a bit about your film, Seedlings (Lamha)?
Producer Meher Jaffri
MJ: Seedlings (Lamha) is a human-interest drama about the complexities of human and familial relationships in the aftermath of a tragic accident.It revolves around three lives that are affected. It speaks about loss, anger, blame, forgiveness and redemption.
SM: Your film is premiering at the NYCIFF, a festival which recognizes cultural diversity, and has been nominated in a number of categories. What does this mean for you as an Canadian-Pakistani film maker?
MJ: It is fantastic to be part of a festival that stresses on cultural diversity. I am so thankful to the NYIFF for giving an opportunity to international filmmakers to showcase their work. As a Canadian I am used to the importance placed on cultural diversity. Interestingly enough, our film has faced some opposition in Pakistan. There are sections of people who have said that it is a film that is different from the mainstream formula. Of course the industry there is still in its infancy and Canada’s film heritage is huge; so there is a sense of bright-eyed hope and excitement all round.
SM: As a young Canadian-Pakistani producer, what changes do you want to see in the cinema scene of both countries?
MJ: The Pakistani film industry needs training in technical skills in both film and television which is the primary medium of entertainment there. There is absolutely no support from the public sector in any way, no funding for films or support for film programs and initiatives. Privately too, people are hesitant to invest in films as it is not a familiar investment option. There are not nearly enough cinemas or distributors and it has so far been run as a sort of oligarchy. The one thing that I am confident of is the passion and talent – though of course like anything it needs to be nurtured with better training programs.
I have not yet worked in the Canadian film industry to know its dynamics from a personal level – but soon!
SM: What has been the response to the film in Pakistan? And are you planning to release the film in Canada?
MJ: The fans have been fantastic!!! I’m so floored by the people in Pakistan for voicing their opinions and supporting the film in all ways possible: through Facebook, Twitter, comments on online news articles and You Tube, calls to any TV or radio shows we’ve been on, etc. We are definitely shopping for distribution in Canada as it is home to a large Pakistani and Indian community. Fingers crossed!
SM: What’s your next project and when can we see it?
MJ: We are working on our sci-fi feature film Kolachi and also on our next collaboration with Pakistani musical prodigy (and 2012 TED Fellow) Usman Riaz for whom we produced his first short musical film, Ruckus. This one is calledWaves and based on a beautiful piano piece – a very high concept and original piece. Other than that, we are exploring projects with a few partners which I can’t divulge right now – but they are feature film related!
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