BOLD: Why is the film titled Joyland?
Saim Sadiq: Set in Lahore, the film Joyland is named after the eponymous amusement park of the city. Being one of the major attractions during our childhood days, the Joyland Park was a big part of our growing-up years, offering us some moments of joy as well as a deep sense of festivity and get-togetherness. In fact, Joyland harkens back the most pleasant-yet-funny childhood memories that have stuck with me over the years and the film Joyland coupled with its characters have a sort of a fleeting relationship with that theme park that can be seen in the film. There’s a kind of a metaphorical idea behind that same space which all the characters of the film are looking for - a land for joy where they can exist and go after their desires without any shame or identity conflict.
Why didn't you pursue a career in acting instead of film direction?
Pursuing a career is all about what your interest and passion is. I was always interested in telling stories and instead of being part of somebody else's story, I wanted to be the one who is able to visualize and write the story and create its characters. So my interest has always been working behind the camera because I am keenly interested in people and love to see, examine and portray human emotions and psyche by using the camera.
Despite being considerably a new name in film direction, Joyland is another big thing that has happened to you. How do you feel about it?
Since Joyland is my debut feature film, I feel really good as it is the greatest thing that has happened in my life so far. Earlier, I did student films and short films only. At the moment, the film Joyland seems everything to me and I am hoping that now I can have an actual career based on the acclaim that I have been given from the public and thankfully I will be able to make films that I want to produce, instead of working in the industry on somebody else's terms. Thanks to Joyland, I can hopefully do whatever work I can do but only on my own terms, which is the most important thing to me as a storyteller.
Direction is a tiring process which demands patience and perseverance. Do you lose your cool on set, especially when things start going wrong?
No. In general, film directors are too often allowed to throw a tantrum or go off the deep end. In complete contrast, it's very rare for me to lose my temper and I just don't like this attitude either. The world of filmmaking is not such a field where everyone can easily make heaps of money. In a country like ours, filmmaking can only be pursued purely out of passion.
I always feel indebted to the cast and crew who took out their time and did so much physical and mental labour for the film. Even if I feel frustrated, I get anxious, but I don't lose my cool, never.
Why do you think there's a need for the Joyland’s
story to be told?
Joyland is based on a story that needs to be told, time and again. To me, there was a need to tell this story, engage with characters and to figure them out to make a film about them. I don't think anybody should watch this film for the sake of watching. After all, Joyland is not a medicine or remedy; it's a film. You should watch it because it is going to engage you and end up as an emotionally satisfying experience. For me, the need to touch on sensitive topics doesn't come from sort of addressing any taboos and the like. It's just that the story that came to me somehow happened to have a transgender character in it and I didn't shy away from it. I accepted it, I owned it and tried to handle it as sensitively as I could. But at the same time, I think the primary responsibility of the film is to be engaging and I think I approached it from that end as well. Perhaps the unique selling point of the film, if any, and the need of the hour – if I was to diagnose our industry – would be to make films that are more accurate and realistic in terms of the portraying our people.
Because I don't know if we assume that only a Indian format or larger-than-life characters can only be entertaining. I think there's a lot of people around us in real life who are very entertaining, interesting, and quirky and their stories matter too. And I think their stories on screen give us a sort of validation as people that we exist. That's why the Western culture has marked such a footprint in the world and everybody knows what it is about because that is represented on screen. For our people watching the film will be more of cathartic experience as the film addresses some issues that we all can relate to as well. And those issues been presented in an engaging manner, hopefully.
To talk about the transgender a closer inspection of the affairs is always required. Do you have such experience of encountering a transgender man or woman or you just took the responsibility to raise the issue?
No, I didn't approach the film like that.
Again, the film is not about the issues confronting the transgender community.
First of all, I think it's a big misconception about the film. It has a transgender character and there are other male characters in the film, but you don't say that the film is about the male issues. They are all characters; they're people like us and and their gender is not necessarily what the film Joyland is all about. Secondly, I also feel like we sometime talk about transgender people as if they exist clandestinely and are not part of our society. However, they are on the street when we're driving; they are everywhere.
Thankfully, in today’s Pakistan there's a newscaster who is a transgender person and there are many members of the transgender community studying in colleges and medical universities. They've always been everywhere, for instance, at our wedding celebrations or when a child is born. In fact, their presence has always been very mainstream in certain factions. We've never just bothered to look at them beyond their strange gender attributes and I think the film does that because it was a requirement of the story that there was a character that needed to be explored in all its layers. I wanted to do the same for Biba’s character, who is a transgender in the film. So it's about how and why she gets angry so often, what are her ambitions in life and why does she feel insecure. There is a need to explore the burning issues facing the transgender people in everyday matters. I think that message is intrinsically ubiquitous in general. Today,
How do you think the people in Pakistan will welcome the release of Joyland in the country?
Pursuing a career is all about what your interest and passion is. I was always interested in telling stories and instead of being part of somebody else's story, I wanted to be the one who is able to visualize and write the story and create its characters
I believe the people will welcome the film wholeheartedly. There's been a lot of buzz around the film but it's all been because of its international appeal. In fact, the release of Joyland in Pakistan will be like a coming home for the Pakistani audience, and once they watch the film, they will be able to find at least one or two characters they can relate to. The film depicts Pakistan as it happens to be in this time and age and what its people are like. It's neither an aspirational film with a moving song shot in Turkey or beyond, or is a commercial film, full of fun and entertainment. Joyland is a film that is very relatable, and I think that's perhaps going to be the biggest takeaway for the audience here and whatever discussion and discourse that comes out of the film. With regards to film’s underlying theme, I think one of the leading objective of a film is to create awareness which, as a result, leads to an intellectual discourse and discussion. And that's the ultimate point of cinema. Also, not everybody is supposed to agree with everything shown in the film, which is not trying to preach or publicise anything particular at all.
Joyland is based on a story that needs to be told, time and again. There was a need to tell this story, engage with characters and to figure them out to make a film
everyone seems to agree to the fact that the transgender people re normal people and they must be given basic human rights that everybody else has. I don't think we need to make a film to raise that basic sort of statement that is so basic that I don't think there's a conversation about it that the film needs to be made just to raise that issue.
In addition to that, the film talks about other interpersonal things that I was
What message do you think this narrative will convey as there are many discussions about the community?
I don't think the film has any message. I prefer films that don't tell or force audience to do what is necessary or how should they feel after watching the film.
I think the film tends to be a visual investigation and this story investigates the deepseated patriarchy in our society and certain specific gender roles between men, women and transgender that we think they should be abiding by, and the dichotomy between that system and what human beings actually desire.
People like you and I have also struggled with this. I think everybody struggles with those things, whether we dare admit it or not. Even the people who uphold
patriarchy and our parents’ generation, they also seem to suffer from it in a certain sense.
For me, the film was an exploration of these people and I don't have any specific message to pass on to people who have a liberty to imbibe and take different things from the film from their own prism.
With popularity comes controversy too. While touching on a taboo subject, what was the creative thought behind it?
I don't know whether I have touched on a taboo subject or not. Yes, there are not many films that highlight patriarchy or question gender roles in our country. The thought process was triggered by a story idea and it was important for me to make this film because I have observed patriarchy in my own family and everywhere around, and how men behave with women and how women behave with men and all that. For me, it was important to talk about that because I felt like I had carried out some sort of personal research on it.
We have so many stories but only a few of them are told through the art medium. What is going to be your next story?
I don't know what is going to be my next story as it’s too early to talk about it. We just finished the film Joyland in May and we're
After all, Joyland is not a medicine or remedy; it's a film. You should watch it because it is going to engage you and end up as an emotionally satisfying experience
How did you decide the role for each character?
A different process was employed to select actors for every character. For Haider, the lead character, as many as 600 people went through the audition. In doing so, we discovered Ali Junejo, who is basically a theatre actor and just had the right approach towards the character which was very organic. Rasti is somebody that I know from the LUMS and have seen her performances. Having done a short film with her, Rasti was thus an easy choice. Sarwat is an amazing versatile actor but I don't think we've seen her in the kind of role that she plays in Joyland. In short, it was exciting for me to make the most of her acting expertise in quite a different character. I know Alina through the short film, Darling. She made that short film before, and so even in the writing process I knew that Biba’s character would be played by Alina. You should ask Sania why she did the film! I think anybody would want to cast Sania in their film.
still two weeks out from its Pakistan release, so I need to release this one first and have it out of my system. I'm working on some ideas, but it's too early to talk about them.
How was your experience in working with Ali Junejo and Alina?
It was amazing. They both have different backgrounds as Ali comes from the theatre while Alina is a new actress and is still figuring out the processes that work. To synch them with the film, we arranged a three-month workshop for them. For instance, Ali flew down to Lahore to get the dialect right since he is from Karachi. There was a lot of work involved and they both went the extra miles to attain perfection. The character Alina is playing is different from who she is in real life, but of course there are certain struggles that she would be able to identify as a performer. Alina is more instinctive and you have to get her in the mood. However, they both were very passionate about the film and so it was a pleasure working with them.
While showing every character's perspective in the film, how did you connect to each character without enforcing your point of view or being judgmental as a director?
I tried my best to do that and whether I did it well or not, people will have to watch it and tell me.
Do you think the story has done justice to the basic idea?
You'll have to watch the film and tell me if I did justice to it. I can't be the judge of my own efforts.
Playing a character that is not anywhere near ‘likable’ is challenging. Though the play’s main plot always revolves around the leading protagonists, however, the characters who play supporting negative roles are also of equal significance.
It’s relatively easier to become the audience’s favourite, particularly for a character who seems to be an essence of everything good found in the world. In contrast, it is difficult to grab the spotlight for a character portrayed in a bad light.
Fortunately, our entertainment industry is blessed with such actors who have proven their mettle and versatility time and again by playing characters that the audience loves to hate.
Javeria Saud is currently playing one such character in the ongoing TV serial ‘ Betiyan .’
While this Meesam Naqvi’s directorial has unfolded into yet another family drama with a damsel in distress and a predictable storyline, some notable performances have stood out from the rest. Despite playing a supporting role in ‘ Betiyan ,’ Javeria Saud has managed to steal the limelight with her impeccable performance.
By Omair Alavi KARACHIHe may neither be on top of everyone’s list titled ‘My favourite superhero’ nor does he lead anyone’s list of antiheroes, but Dwayne Johnson’s presence as the Black Adam gives this origin film a standing it wouldn’t have received otherwise. After all, the superhero he fights mostly – Shazam! – isn’t among the top-tier of the good guys, nor Black Adam has appeared in any film opposite a major DC superhero. However, after watching this film, you would want to know more about Black Adam because he has all the superpowers that will give any superhero the run for his money, including the Man of Steel.
The Plot
Nearly 5,000 years ago in a Middle Eastern country named Kahndaq, wizards bestowed superpowers on a young slave named Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson) who frees his fellow countrymen from a tyrant king, before vanishing for eternity. However, when an archaeologist Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) frees him from his resting place, he has to decide whether to save the people of the modern-day Kahndaq from mercenaries or fight those who want to capture him. Rechristened Black Adam, he chooses to do both, after it comes to light that his backstory might not have ended the way people believe it did.
The Good
The film undoubtedly belongs to Dwayne Johnson, even though there isn’t much of him in the first half. When he does make his presence felt, he takes the film to a whole new level, using his dead-pan style of dialogue delivery to great effect. He is undoubtedly the only actor who could have brought life to a terrifying character because he looks the part. Also, both Black Adam and Dwayne Johnson have a lot in common physically, while the character’s sense of morality doesn’t seem much different from the former wrestler's personality. His expressionless face is a superpower here because he is playing an emotionless character who has been awakened from a deep slumber, from which he wasn’t supposed to return at all.
Add to that the Justice Society of America and you get superheroes fighting a superhero, a formula that has been made popular through more Marvel films long before DC. Led by Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman and mentored by Pierce Brosnan’s Dr. Fate, this team first tries to capture Black Adam, but later joins hands with him, once they realize that they might do good together, instead of separately. It was good to see Aldis Hodge as the leader of JSA, and his fans from Leverage might be happy for him since he has come a long way. Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan may have donned a superhero costume late in life but his irresistible charm made the audience forget that this was his first foray into the fantasy world. American actress of Iranian descent Sarah Shahi has a new take on the ‘damsel in distress,' because she plays
a single mother whose son is in trouble and she doesn’t end up as the romantic interest of the superhero. She in fact guides him on a journey that ends when he finally manages to free his people, for the second time in 5000 years. The special effects and the action sequences must be commended here as well since they keep the audience on the edge of their seat, and while many would root for the JSA, there might be many backing the Black Adam, for it is his name on the poster!
The Bad
I am all for the introduction of new characters in superhero films but the makers should do it like Marvel and Sony folks do, and not like they eventually did in Black Adam. Not everyone is familiar with a superhero named The Atom, and veteran actor Henry Winkler’s cameo didn’t help either. Did he play that character in some film or TV show? No. Is he known for playing any superhero? No. Then why was he even there, if only for a video chat when his presence added no value at all? Also, the audience has seen a superhero who can increase his size and deliver a powerful punch in AntMan so DC missed the trick big time.
Choosing Noah Centineo for the character wasn’t a smart move either because not many knew who he was, or how he would play a character that wasn’t used in Justice League animated series. The same is the thing with Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone who reminds the audience of a character from the X-Men movies. Yes, both the characters as well as Dr. Fate first appeared on the scene and Marvel imitated them later, but that was in the comic world. In the film world, DC has to do more before introducing characters that come onscreen, describing their superpowers, and expecting the audience to recognize them from somewhere. They were clueless when the action took place because they had no idea what to expect, and from whom! Also, the audience is kept wondering which era the film takes place in because, on the one hand, the Justice Society is there (the predecessor of Justice League) while on the other, Amanda Waller is there as well. The technology used is pretty modern but the use of audio cassettes and a skateboard (in a fictional African/Asian country) looks misplaced.
Moving on to the villain section, the antagonist was so dumb that the studio shouldn’t have wasted their time and money on him. Were they expecting that the audience would accept a supervillain just because he was there in the film, because that’s how it turned out! The overuse of CGI at some places dampened the effect and had the director kept it simple, it might have gone down as memorable, which it didn’t.
The Verdict 3/5
Black Adam is one of the first attempts by the players at the DC Universe to do something along the lines of Marvel. It is a film that shows the lighter side of the same universe that gave us Zack Snyder’s Justice League and is appreciated for upgrading itself in the right direction. Not only did they make one superhe- them from another kind of slavery!
The TV serial revolves around Laiq (Muhammad Ahmed), who is a single parent and a father of five daughters. Playing the role of his unmarried sister, Javeria, the phupho ’ (paternal aunt) of the girls, is always on the watch and often pokes her nose in her nieces’ affairs.
In doing so, Javeria has been remarkable in portraying the negativity and toxicity of her character. She exhibits a subtle jealousy towards her nieces enjoying the support of their father and this was something which she did not experience in her young age. In most scenes, she is spying or eavesdropping on their private conversations. Other than her immaculate dialogue delivery, she has also been phenomenal with her expressions and body language. While her character is not exactly the inspiration we mostly look for, we are hoping that the TV serial will conclude with a lesson for all such people we see in real life.
Here’s a throwback to the roles Javeria Saud has played on the small screen in the last couple of years.
Haseena in ‘Paristan’ (2021)
The character of Haseena in the TV serial Paristan, directed by Ali Hassan, was yet another memorable performance by Javeria Saud. Playing the role of a lively mother, full of drama and banter, Javeria brought uniqueness to her character Haseena with her spontaneous expressions, dialogue delivery, and phenomenal acting.
Gohar in ‘Nand’ (2020)
Despite her unreal entry halfway through the TV serial Nand, Javeria Saud managed to steal the show. Cast in replacement of Faiza Hassan, the bars were quite high for Javeria to don the role of a bossy character named Gohar However, she did the role with perfection.
Saira in ‘Oye Motti' (2021)
Directed by Muhammad Iftikhar, the TV series Oye Motti was centred on fat-shaming and bullying both at home and the workplace. However, the portrayal of the chosen theme on screen was not up to the mark.
Javeria Saud appeared in one of the episodes of the TV series and perhaps, it was the only good thing about that episode. Javeria as Saira played the role of a schoolteacher who, despite being fat-shamed and bullied by her students, thrived towards being a successful woman with the love and support of her husband.
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot (1959)
Although veteran actress Gloria Swanson had imitated Charlie Chaplin in Sunset Boulevard (1950) and won praise from everyone who saw the performance, the first time two leading men cross-dressed on screen was in Some Like It Hot. The comic geniuses play two musicians who are on the run from the mob, after witnessing a murder. Their idea of seeking safety from the gangsters is to join an all-female jazz band, led by the hottest of ‘em all, Marilyn Monroe. Things begin to go awry when a millionaire falls in love with the female avatar of one of the musicians, while the other falls in love with the lead singer. The film went on to become a huge hit and even today is considered amongst the best screwball comedy films ever produced.
By Omair Alavi KARACHIPakistan’s drama industry is currently on a mission to discover itself, and in recent years, they have experimented with different genres. One experiment that managed to click with the audience began with Zahid Ahmed’s performance in Ishq Zahe Naseeb where he played a person suffering from a split personality disorder and liked to cross-dress for an odd reason. Not only did that performance win him praise from the audience but he also managed to take home all the awards that year.
After Zahid Ahmed, it was the turn of female actors to return the favour and Saboor Aly and Yumna Zaidi took the challenge. While the former played Bubbly Badmash in the uberhit Parizaad, the latter is currently earning praise from all quarters for her performance in Bakhtawar. While Saboor Aly’s character was that of a girl who believes she is a boy, Yumna Zaidi deliberately tried to pass on as a boy so that she could earn a living, which wouldn’t have been possible had she remained a girl.
The act of cross-dressing might seem new to the audience but it has been going around since the advent of the entertainment industry. In the early days, when women in this part of the world weren’t allowed to act, men used to play female characters until a few brave women like Durga Khote decided to end that custom. However, some filmmakers continued to use ‘cross-dressing’ as a tool in their films, sometimes as a comic element and sometimes for the good of others. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and discuss the eight best cross-dressing performances that went on to become iconic because of their impact on the audience.
Munawwar Zarif in Shararat (1975)
Two years later, Munawar Zarif was back on screen as a non-male character, and this time it was to help his friends – again. The only difference was that instead of being a damsel in distress, Munawar played his friend’s aunt who comes over to Pakistan from South Africa. While the plan was to impress that very friend’s relatives, it backfired when one of them (played by Lehri) fell in love with the aunt, in a twist inspired by Some Like It Hot. How Munawar Zarif was able to play both the out-of-work actor as well as the friend in need at the same time is what made this film one of the best comedy films ever made in Pakistan.
Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire (1994)
Had the makers cast any other actor in this flick, it might have gone down as a crappy effort, but with Robin Williams playing the titular role, everything fell into place. He plays a freelance voiceover artiste named Daniel Hillard who dresses up as a female housekeeper to stay close to his children after his ex-wife (Sally Field) took them away from him. Robin Williams’ brilliance as an actor and his ability to play a character for which a female actor would have been perfect, not only makes the audience accept this creepy plot but also adds colour to it, making it perhaps the best comedy film produced in the 1990s. His influence on the script and the film was so huge that nobody remembers that the future James Bond Pierce Brosnan was also part of the film.
Mumtaz in Himmat (1970)
Although many India film actresses had cross-dressed on screen in films, Mumtaz’s ability to fool the audience made it one of the best performances of her pre-Rajesh Khanna career. She played a damsel in distress who runs away from her home but not before donning the male guise to confuse her followers. When the film’s main lead, played by Jeetendra, finds out that the guy is actually a girl, he falls in love with her and thus begins their love story. Three years after the film’s release, the same boy-meetsgirl-disguised-as-a-boy scenario takes place in Waheed Murad’s Jaal where Nisho plays the boy/girl and Waheed Murad is the one who fell in love with her.
Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982)
Cross-dressing got a new lease of life when a struggling actor (Dustin Hoffman) used his talent to land himself a major role in a soap opera, without realizing what he would do when the ruse was discovered. Slowly and gradually, he starts falling in love with his co-star (Jessica Lange) while many were also falling in love with his new avatar, including the girl's father. The film’s biggest asset is its ability to respect the characters and that’s why it has stood the test of time. And if you are wondering why the plot seems so familiar, well Moin Akhtar's play Rozi was based on Tootsie, the film where Dustin Hoffman played both Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels, his alter ego, without realizing that it would be nearly impossible to revert to his old self.
At a time when every African American actor wanted to either play a comic character or an action hero, Bad Boys’ Martin Lawrence gave them an option like never before. He plays an FBI agent in this film who is asked to go undercover as his former girlfriend’s estranged grandmother so that he can keep an eye on her current boyfriend’s activities. Make that boyfriend an escaped convict who has loot to protect, and you get a film that’s a laugh riot. By the time this film ends, you will not only forget that Martin Lawrence is a man but would also be a fan of his perfection in playing a character that is anything but him. The film managed to spawn two more sequels, while in Pakistan, actor Humayun Saeed played an inspired version of the character who helps a rich guy dupe his grandfather by posing as his girlfriend.
If you ever come across the song Sa Sanwala Chehra from Rangeela Aur Munawar Zarif and start wondering who the blonde girl was, dancing alongside Rangeela, then don’t be surprised to know that the drop-dead gorgeous person was none other than Munawar Zarif. The comedian donned a wig and female attire just to make Rangeela’s on-screen girlfriend (played by Saiqa) jealous but ended up making other directors take note of his hidden talent. Despite being the parallel lead in a film that paid tribute to both Rangeela and Munawwar Zarif, it was the latter’s different avatar that won over new fans from across the world.
Among all the protagonists mentioned in this piece, Mulan is undoubtedly the noblest, the strongest, and the bravest because she chooses to help her father by becoming a boy, and had no other motive. The story takes place in Imperial China where men from all over the country are summoned to join the military. Mulan disguises herself as a man and goes in her ailing father’s place making him both proud and worried about his daughter. However, after Mulan is expelled for being a girl, she discovers that the battle is a diversion, and convinces her unit to change tactics, thus beginning a journey where she manages to save the emperor, and destroy the threat that would have changed the face of her country
Martin Lawrence in Big Momma's House (2000)
Munawwar Zarif in Rangeela Aur Munawar Zarif (1973)
Liu Yifei in Mulan (2020)
AFP
To limit misinformation on the internet, now doctors, nurses and other health care professionals from across the world can apply to have their YouTube channels certified. The change will allow viewers to more easily access videos containing "high-quality health information," YouTube, the world’s most popular video-sharing platform, said.
"This is a big step towards helping people more easily find and connect with content that comes from the extraordinary community of healthcare professionals on YouTube," it added.
In addition to doctors and nurses, mental health professionals and healthcare information providers may also apply for the YouTube verification that allows their videos to be spotted easily by users. For the first time, according to YouTube, certain categories of healthcare professionals and health information providers can apply to make their channels eligible for our health product features.
“When it comes to our health, people trust healthcare professionals to give us the best advice. But the opportunity that healthcare professionals have to inform and educate their patients largely stops at the clinic door,” according to the world’s largest video sharing and web streaming platform.
“The reality is that the majority of healthcare decisions are made outside the doctor’s office, in the everyday lives of our patients. This new step will allow us to expand to include high quality information from a wider group of healthcare
channels. This includes health source information panels that help viewers identify videos from authoritative sources and health content shelves that highlight videos from these sources when you search for health topics, so people can more easily navigate and evaluate health information online," the company said.
“YouTube Health has been working on additional ways to help doctors, nurses, mental health professionals and healthcare information providers to bring high quality health information into the spaces that people visit throughout their day – like their favourite video-sharing app.”
Some 90 percent of Americans use social media to search for health information, according to the National Academy of Medicine.
YouTube faced criticism in 2021 for hosting videos that criticised Covid-19 vaccines or contradicted health guidance from the World Health Organization or the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
In response, in September 2021, it banned misleading and
inaccurate content about vaccines. It also launched a limited programme that allowed videos by public health departments, hospitals and governments, among other entities, to have labels letting users know they are authoritative. It is that program that is now being broadened.
YouTube, headquartered in San Bruno, California, has a reach of some two billion monthly active users.
Believing the fact that effective but valid information and two-way communication is always essential for improving and enhancing people’s health and well-being, YouTube, the world’s largest web streaming platform, feels much excitement in connecting common people with the highly-qualified health professionals and medical practitioners, capable of providing highly authoritative health information, which is culturally relevant and evidence-based as well. To access the programme, health-care professionals must offer proof of their professional licenses, follow best practices for sharing science-based health information and have a channel in good standing on YouTube, the company said.
By Valentin Graff WASHINGTONTen-year-old Aiden Reed had reason to be a little nervous as he dipped into a swimming pool in Washington.
"I almost drowned," the young African American recalled of an incident at another pool when a lifeguard had to rescue him.
Since then, Aiden has found the courage to face his fears and go back in the pool for lessons with Swim Up, a non-profit group that offers free classes.
Out of nine new swimmers on a recent October afternoon, eight were African American, a vulnerable group for drowning. In the United States, the drowning rate for Black children ages five to nine is 2.6 times higher than that of white children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For Black children ages 10-14, drowning rates are 3.6 times higher, the CDC says.
Some 64 percent of Black children know little or nothing about swimming, compared to 40 percent of white children, according to USA Swimming, a national federation.
A tragedy in August 2010 brutally illustrated the situation. During a barbecue with friends in Shreveport, Louisiana, DeKendrix Warner, a Black teenager, waded into shallow water in the Red River.
He didn't know how to swim. Neither did the six friends and cousins who went in to try to save him. Warner slipped and plunged into a pool of much deeper water. A passer-by jumped in and saved him but the six others had also followed him into the deep water. Family members on shore, who couldn't swim, watched helplessly.
DeKendrix survived, but the six teenagers, aged 13 to 18, all drowned.
Closed swimming pools
In the United States, there is no federal requirement to teach swimming in schools. The reason so many Black children don't know how to swim, though, is rooted in the history of slavery and racial inequality, according to activists and historians.
"Enslaved Africans could escape slavery with swimming skills," said Ebony Rosemond, executive director of Black Kids Swim, an organization that
helps African American youth learn to swim.
"It was in the best interest of those who owned humans to make sure that they didn't have the skill, or that they were too afraid to jump into the water," she said.
After the abolition of slavery in 1865, white supremacists terrorized African Americans, "lynching them, brutalizing them, and hanging their bodies near bodies of water," Rosemond added.
With the civil rights movement came desegregation. Courts ordered cities to open their public pools to Black people.
But many, especially in the South, chose to close them instead, said historian Jeff Wiltse of the University of Montana, author of "A Social History of Swimming Pools in America." Such racial discrimination "severely restricted Black Americans' access" to pools, he summarized in a 2014 article.
"Swimming never became integral to Black Americans' recreation and sports
culture and was not passed down from generation to generation."
'It's cold!'
Today, many initiatives are trying to correct this, like Swim Up.
Mary Bergstrom, a cofounder, handed out caps and swim shorts to kids one recent afternoon. "Get in the water," she urged. One of them jumped in and yelled, "It's cold!"
The kids learn skills step by step. First, they float on their backs, then kick their feet to move forward, arms outstretched, guided by Bergstrom, a lawyer and former competitive swimmer.
Aiden, his fear of the water a thing of the past, floats easily. One of his distracted buddies forgets to breathe, and Bergstrom gently pats his head to get him to take a breath of air.
"We are almost at 100 kids that we've kind of taught to swim or kind of got them over their fear of the water," Bergstrom said.
"Eventually our goal is to... put this into schools, and it can be burden-free on families. You can make it a part of the curriculum, and you can make a difference," she said.
Not far from the pool is Howard University, the only historically Black university in the United States with a competitive swim team, whose swimmers sometimes give lessons to Swim Up youth.
On October 1, they entered Burr Gymnasium to thunderous applause as they took on rival Georgetown. About 1,200 people were attending the event, which was designed by their coach, Nick Askew, to raise the profile of Black swimmers.
"We can create a fan experience like none other, the fact that we can also back it up with some amazing swims... is one of the things... a lot of people will grab on to, and make them more encouraged to touch the water, to learn how to swim,"
Askew told AFP.
The Howard Bisons held their own, although both the male and female teams lost to their Georgetown competitors.
Niles Rankin, a 21-year-old competitive swimmer at Howard, said coach Askew has a goal for his athletes.
"He wanted us to get our name out there to kind of be like, I guess, a symbol for other Black swimmers," he said.
"You can do it... You can be a Black swimmer." AFP
Ash Caro Daur
By Natsuko FukueTOKYO
The loss of greats Kenzo Takada and Issey Miyake heralds the end of a fashion era, decades after Japanese design revolutionised Parisian catwalks in the 1970s and '80s.
And the French capital remains a goal for emerging talent like Bunka graduate Takuya Morikawa, whose streetwear-inspired tailoring made its Paris Fashion Week debut two years ago. Morikawa, 40, hopes his shows at the industry's top event will lead to "an amazing future, beyond my wildest dreams".
Before launching his label TAAKK in 2013, Morikawa spent eight years at Miyake's studio, where he worked on runway collections and the famous "Pleats Please" line, but also harvested rice and made paper to learn about traditional craft methods.
He told that he was saddened by Miyake's death this summer, but implored younger designers not to feel disheartened.
"We need to do our best to not let these designers' deaths impact the fashion world. If that happens, it means we're doing our job badly," he said.
At Tokyo's prestigious Bunka Fashion College, students concentrate in silence that is broken only by the sound of scissors and sewing machines as they strive to emulate the global success of alumni like Kenzo.
One of the big names picking up the baton is
Nigo, who shot to fame in the 1990s with his streetwear brand A Bathing Ape.
The designer, who also studied at Bunka and whose real name is Tomoaki Nagao, was named artistic director at Kenzo last year, after founder Takada died of Covid-19 in 2020.
Another Japanese label enjoying international success is Sacai, founded in 1999 by Chitose Abe, who was tapped as the first guest couture designer for Jean Paul Gaultier.
Pursuing Passion in Paris Kenzo and textile visionary Miyake became hugely influential by pursuing their passion in Paris, as did haute couture trailblazer Hanae Mori, who died in August.
Left holding the torch are Yohji Yamamoto, now 79, and 80-year-old Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garcons, who shook up the fashion establishment in the early 1980s. New challenges, including the vast range of styles now available for every taste, have
made it harder for emerging designers to grab global attention, according to Bunka president Sachiko Aihara.
"The world was shocked" by avant-garde Japanese design, she said, recalling how her students began to dress in black after Yamamoto launched his first monochromatic clothing line.
"But we no longer live in an era where a designer presents a collection and everyone wears it," she said at the school, whose basement archive is packed with valuable
garments that students and teachers can study.
This is because of the explosion in diverse types of clothing, "not a decline in talent", stressed Aihara, adding that it was now also essential to study business to start a competitive brand.
Designer Mariko Nakayama, who worked as a stylist in Tokyo's fashion scene for decades, also remembers "feeling goosebumps" wearing Comme des Garcons for the first time. She agrees, however, that the industry is different now.
"Looking at Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton, for example, I feel that now is an era of edit," with designers making modern tweaks to classic shapes and patterns, she said at her boutique in Tokyo's upscale Omotesando district.
Create new values
Working in Paris, London, New York or Milan is still seen as key to succeeding for Japanese designers, said Aya Takeshima, 35, who studied at Central Saint Martins in the British capital.
Takeshima's recent show at Tokyo Fashion Week for her brand Ayame featured women wearing sheer blouses and embossed dresses, while male models donned delicate dresses. She told that she had chosen to study abroad to "learn what I needed to become an independent designer", adding that the experience had helped her understand different perspectives.
"Honestly, I think it would be difficult" to succeed internationally while only working in Japan, she said.
"In Japan, it felt like technique was drilled into you first, while ideas and concepts... were secondary", but it was the other way around in London, Takeshima explained.
Bunka College recognises these benefits and plans to offer a scholarship for studying abroad as part of its 100th-anniversary celebrations next year.
For 21-year-old Natalia Sato, a student at Bunka, Miyake and the old guard of Japanese designers "brought a great deal of Japanese and Eastern values" to the world, including techniques inspired by "delicate" traditional craftsmanship.
"I'm worried that the foundation they built might be destroyed by their passing", but "at the same time, this is a turning point" that could provide new creative opportunities, she said.
"It's a chance for me to think about how we can create new values." — AFP
AFP After six years without releasing a solo song Rihanna dropped "Lift Me Up," the lead track off the Marvel sequel "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
The 34-year-old music star from Barbados - who's spent her time away from the recording studio launching high-fashion collections, a lingerie line, a makeup brand, becoming a billionaire and having a baby - warmly delivers the lullaby-esque ballad over soft strings and murmurs of a choir.
Her label said the song is a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who played the title character in the first "Black Panther" film and died of cancer in 2021. The film's soundtrack is set for release November 4, with the film slated to hit theatres on November 11. It's the first solo new music from the hitmaker behind "Diamonds" and "Umbrella" since 2016's album "Anti."
Rihanna's fierce fan base has been clamouring for her ninth album, which she has said will be "reggae-infused" and has hinted since 2019 is nearly finished. Rumours have swirled that it might be inching towards release since the NFL announced the Barbadian-born artiste would be headlining the coveted Super Bowl halftime show in February, a long-awaited return to the stage for the pop phenom.
Rihanna for years has focused on other ventures, including becoming the first Black woman to head a fashion house for the French powerhouse LVMH, which owns legacy brands including Fendi and Givenchy. She welcomed her first child with rapper A$AP Rocky in May. The pair stepped out in public in October last week at the "Black Panther" sequel premiere in Los Angeles, strutting the red carpet in coordinated Rick Owens outfits.
Rihanna's discography: All her albums, top 10 Songs and awards
AFP
Controversial rapper Kanye West, recently dropped by German sportswear giant Adidas over a series of anti-Semitic outbursts, is not the first superstar to be dumped by sponsors.
From golfing legend Tiger Woods to model Kate Moss, from time to time the famous fall afoul of the businesses they are associated with.
Here are some well-known cases:
Oscar Pistorius
The lucrative sporting career of the "Blade Runner", South African paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, collapsed in 2013 after he was charged, and later convicted of killing his girlfriend, South African model Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day.
All of his major sponsors cancelled his contracts, including Nike, BT, Thierry Mugler, Oakley, and Ossur.
Pistorius, who claimed he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, was initially cleared of murder but later convicted on appeal and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Tiger Woods
Sponsors fled from supposedly squeaky clean golf superstar Tiger Woods in 2010 in the wake of revelations that he had cheated on then-wife Elin Nordegren with multiple women.
Woods apologised on live television, saying success had gone to his head.
The scandal cost him endorsement deals with Tag Heuer, Gillette, Accenture, AT&T and Gatorade as well as his marriage.
Nike stuck with the former world number one, however, allowing him to remain the best paid sportsman in the world.
Lance Armstrong
Nike was criticised for continuing to officially support disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong in 2012 immediately after the publication of a US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report showing damning evidence of doping involving him and his team.
It then dropped him a few days later and he was then banned from cycling for life. He also lost contracts with bicycle brand Trek and brewer Anheuser-Busch, leaving him out millions.
Michael Phelps
Cereals giant Kellogg's decided not to renew a partnership with record-breaking
Olympic champion Michael Phelps after he was suspended for three months in 2009 by USA Swimming after a published photograph appeared to show him smoking marijuana. Many sponsors, however, stood by him, including apparel manufacturer Speedo and watchmaker Omega.
Sharon Stone
The "Basic Instinct" star caused a furore in 2008 when she claimed that a massive earthquake in southwest China, which left nearly 88,000 people dead or missing, was bad "karma" for Beijing's treatment of Tibet.
Stone was referring to a crackdown earlier in Tibet on protests against Chinese rule. Her remark sparked uproar in China, prompting Christian Dior fashion house to drop her from its local skincare ads. Stone apologised.
Kate Moss
British supermodel Kate Moss was cancelled by a slew of sponsors in 2005 after a British tabloid ran grainy pictures appearing to show her snorting cocaine.
The incident took place at a London recording studio where Moss's then lover, musician and self-confessed drug addict Pete Doherty was recording tracks with his band Babyshambles.
Global fashion retailer H&M, French fashion house Chanel, Britain's Burberry and cosmetics company Rimmel all dumped her but after a few years she had again built up a stable of sponsors, including Mango and Versace.
Whoopi Goldberg
The US actress paid dearly for making a joke about president George W. Bush's name that involved female genitalia at a Democratic fundraiser in 2004.
Anglo-Dutch food group Unilever promptly dropped Goldberg from its campaign for a food supplement, saying she had offended consumers.
Madonna
In 1989, Pepsi canned an expensive ad featuring Madonna and her hit "Like a Prayer" over complaints and boycott threats related to religious imagery and eroticism in the song's official video.
In the video, a scantily-clad Madonna, then 30, dances in front of burning crosses, writhes on the floor of a church and kisses a black Jesus who comes to life. The outrage was felt as far away as Rome, where the Vatican condemned it.
In October last week, a divisive election duel had Brazilians on edge, restless and even sometimes depressed, but for comedian Fabio Porchat, it was the perfect time to break out the jokes.
"It's the best time to make people laugh," said the 39-year-old, whose stand-up routine has been a hit in Rio de Janeiro in recent weeks as the country nervously awaited 2nd-round presidential runoff between President Jair Bolsonaro and rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on October 30.
"Nerves are on edge, people are sick of the elections. There is fighting within families ... But when we get together to go to the theatre for a laugh, it doesn't matter if you are for Lula or Bolsonaro, we laugh at the jokes, and that is that."
His show, "Porchat's Stories," is on four times a week at a theatre in Leblon, an upscale neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro, and does not mention politics.
He prefers self-deprecatory jokes revealed through hysterical anecdotes of his travels abroad, such when he got a bout of gastro in Nepal.
"I speak a lot about politics on television, on social media. But, I decided not to bring it up in the theatre because I told myself people need to laugh about other things," said the comedian who also presents a show on TV Globo. On Instagram, where he has more than six million followers, Porchat has gone live on several
By Omair Alavi KARACHIBefore 1947, India and Pakistan were one country, ruled by the British who were fond of cinema and films. Naturally, the interest was transferred to the people who lived under the British rule and that resulted in sharing a cinema culture that was at par with the international circuit. Those were the days when films were the only visual medium to entertain the masses, and artistes were addressed as Sir and Miss. Atlantis Publications’ heavier-than-thou Woh Bhooli Dastan takes the readers back to the time when the cinema industry was finding its feet in British India, and cinema was evolving in the region from luxury to necessity.
What does this book have that others catering to the same readers don’t, you may ask. Well, this book is a compilation of rare press booklets of early Indian talkies, films that were released between 1931 and 1940. The rarity of these booklets can be judged from the fact that even Indian folks associated with ‘Bollywood’ don’t have these rare gems, which have been compiled and published under the guidance of Pakistani author, Rashid Ashraf.
It may be difficult for some to comprehend how a book featuring booklets before Pakistan’s creation would help the readers understand the past. Only those who believe in ‘the past is the best teacher’ would understand because to them, it doesn’t matter whether the past is 8 minutes back, or 80 years. They know how to learn from whatever happened in a certain time period and implement that in the current era, without worrying about the results, which are usually positive.
Not only do some of the big films of that era such as Alam Ara Gul Bakawli Achhut Kannya or Alibaba mentioned in these pages, their press booklets give the readers an insight into how those films were marketed back in the day. From a synopsis (in English, Hindi, and Urdu) that ends in a cliffhanger to the name of the cast, the crew and some stills from the film take the readers down memory lane and keep them there until they finish reading this compilation.
Its ability to make the readers visualize the past makes this book a perfect guide for how people used to live back in the day. Even if you aren’t a film buff, this book will explain to you how people spent their time in an era long before the advent of television, the internet, or even mobile phones. The book reveals what steps the film producers took to ensure that their film was screened, and helped them garner money for their other projects.
if you still think that the 1930s wasn’t
advanced era, think again because that was
occasions to talk to undecided voters, "without judging them."
He is open about his support for leftist former president Lula — and went viral on Twitter with an appeal to Hollywood's biggest superheroes, the "Avengers," for help in the presidential duel.
Stars including Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr. — who respectively play Nick Fury, Thor and Iron Man in the mega-franchise — answered the call with decidedly Lula-leaning tweets.
A matter of mental health
Yuri Marcal, another popular Brazilian comedian, sees making people laugh during such a gloomy and testy period as "a matter of mental health".
"It's never easy to make people laugh, especially at a time like this, with such a polarized election. We feel such a heavy mood. But actually, people need to laugh more than ever."
Recently, the 29-year-old comedian surprised his fans with a new YouTube video titled "I don't vote for a thief".
To a Brazilian, the phrase is an immediate reference to the insult that far-right Bolsonaro and his supporters loved to wield against Lula, due to graft convictions that were annulled by the Supreme Court.
But upon clicking on the video, you realize Marcal is talking about a Bolsonarista cousin, "the white sheep of the family," who he was trying to convince to vote for Lula.
"That's our role, no matter what era we live in, to make people laugh by taking serious topics lightly," he said.
"I have been getting laughs for years by talking about politics, but also racism," he said.
Online threats Porchat recalls that Brazilian comedians "have lived through worse," referring to the 1964-1985 military dictatorship.
"At that time, you had to perform for four or five censors before you could appear in public. One wrong word and you would land up in prison."
However, comedy is not without danger in Brazil.
In late 2019, the headquarters of the production company that Porchat founded in 2012, Porta dos Fundos, was hit by a Molotov cocktail after it released a Netflix show with blasphemous content.
However, Porchat says the threats usually come from people hiding "behind their screen, online. But it's a minority."
Marcal has also received threats on social media, where he has more than one million followers on Instagram.
"Recently, I made a joke about Bolsonaro, and someone said: 'be careful, I know where you perform'."
Unlike many books featuring posters (rare or common, that’s not the issue), this book gives the poster an extra blank page on the opposite side, which keeps the poster from deteriorating. Interesting, isn’t it? That’s not all, most of the songs in the films are also mentioned here, giving music aficionados something to look forward to. With renowned names like Sultan Arshad and Yasir Abbasi as consultants, the subject is bound to have authenticity because the two gentlemen are known for their meticulous work in music.
Don’t be surprised if you come across a stunning beauty named Naseem in some later film posters, or see a young handsome Indian actor in the press booklet of Premi Pagal, because they were wellknown people, whose kids also entered showbiz. The stunner was actress Saira Banu’s mother Naseem Banu while the youngster who plays the titular role in Premi Pagal is none other than Noor Mohammad Charlie, India’s first comedy king. He was the father of actor Latif Charlie, grandfather of TV host Dino Ali, and the great-grandfather of actor Komail Anam, who is the son of actor and singer Khaled Anam, making the Peera Ho crooner his grandson-in-law.
The presence of the booklets’ English, Hindi, and Urdu section attracts readers of all languages who choose to read the text in favourably their mother tongue. You might laugh at the text here and there but that’s because those were the in fancy days of the cinema industry, a time when Jaddan Bai, Sanjay Dutt’s maternal grandmother, and Nargis’ mother was part of the industry, and legendary PTV actress Begum Khursheed Mirza made her debut as Renuka Devi.
If that doesn’t satisfy you, how about searching for Madam Noor Jehan’s first film as an actress (Baby Noor Jehan) or looking for a Ranbir Kapoor lookalike who is part of some of the booklets. That guy resembles the hottest Kapoor in town because he was the one who transferred his genes to them, and if you are still clueless about his identity, that guy was Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor's dad, Rishi Kapoor’s grandfather, and Ranbir Kapoor's great grandfather, and was considered one of the most handsome actors of his generation. It would be correct to say that this book is nothing short of a treasure trove, and brings back memories of films that are either lost in oblivion or destroyed in some accident. All the 50-odd films covered here are somehow part of the evolution of the film industry in the subcontinent that went on to become Indian and Pakistani film industries. From the first talkie Alam Ara to the first director Mehboob Khan’s version of Alibaba , every film is given the coverage it deserves, and takes you towards a destination, the journey of which begins from here.
Despite being in its infancy stage yet when paralleled with other similar ventures across the globe, the Karachi Biennale has already established itself as the highlight of Karachi’s art calendar – perhaps even Pakistan’s. However, the draw of the biennale lies in the artworks on display across the various locations as well as in the venues chosen as spaces to house and display the art. Both previous iterations of the Karachi Biennale unearthed and brought into the spotlight several architectural, historical and cultural marvels which, over the years, have been swallowed by Karachi’s labyrinth. Hence, the biennale serves a dual purpose, with one being more apparent than the other. It provides both a platform through which art can viewed and dissected while also acting as an avenue through which the metropolis is given the opportunity to showcase its most overlooked aspects.
The Karachi Biennale 2022 (KB22) is a continuation of this maxim. Curated by Faisal Anwar, KB22 intends to open windows to new conversations, exploring the intersections between art and technology though the central theme Collective Imagination: Now and the Next Spread over nine venues across the city, its panorama of exhibitions, performances, and dialogue use the “tools of tomorrow” to enrich, innovate, and celebrate Karachi’s art landscape. For the uninitiated, KB22 has divided its nine venues into three clusters. The centrally located Cluster A includes Hamid Market, NJV School, Jamshed Memorial Hall and the city campus of the NED University. Cluster B includes the Sambara Gallery, the VM Art Gallery and the city campus of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA). The southern part of Karachi is the site of Cluster C and it includes the IVS Gallery at the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture and the Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Art Gallery at the Alliance Française. The biennale is also holding workshops, panel discussions and talks to supplement and further elaborate on the ideas being explored at KB22.
The inaugural ceremony of the Third Karachi Biennale took place on October 29th at the historic NJV School, a location which has now become synonymous with the biennale. Faqir Zulfiqar, a Sindhi folk singer, commenced the inauguration by giving the audience a taste of the music produced by the borindo – an instrument that can be dated back 5000 years and was resurrected by Zulfiqar’s father and Allah Jurrio. The latter is a 90-year-old potter from Badin, and he and Zulfiqar helped save the borindo from cultural extinction. Following this performance, the Managing Trustee of the Karachi Biennale Trust (KBT), Niilofur Farrukh, spoke about the biennale being “a garden of hope.” “The biennale has helped us discover many things,” she said, “For me, every biennale I discover something, and new things are introduced to me.” Farrukh believes that KB22 is dedicated to the youth and their ever-evolving relationship with technology. According to Anwar, “the KB22 will present innovative ideas, projects and practices that articulate and visualise new connections between the real, the physical and the virtual worlds.”
Three awards were also distributed at the ceremony, with the artists’ collective from the United Kingdom, Invisible Flock, winning the Jury Prize for their work Microtonal – for which they had collaborated with Allah Jurrio and Zulfiqar. Mussarat Mirza, a veteran artist, was awarded the KB22 Lifetime Achievement Award, while Bilal Jabbar, whose work revolves around sensory experiences, was awarded the KB22 Engro Emerging Artist Prize. The event was capped off with a typically distinctive performance by Amin Gulgee and a group of students from the NJV School. Called The Forgotten March, the performance piece had the audience make their way past a cavalcade of ghoulish performers lit by ultraviolet lights.
One of the works on display at the NJV School is Memory Room by Amin Gulgee, and it is the artist’s attempt to maintain a
Rashid Rana’s work at the Frere Hall at KB19 was one of the highlights of the previous biennale, and he has continued along the same thematic thread in his display at this year’s biennale
“wholeness of self.” Gulgee considers the objects that surround him in his home to be his “friends”, his “witnesses of the past”. Hence, each one of the objects on display in his exhibit at the NJV School represents an emotion and experience specific to him. Gulgee also uses the potent power of olfactory cues to serve as triggers for memories and recollections, thus filing the room with a pungent odour. With an image being projected onto an old wooden bed alongside the constantly changing light colours and guttural background noise being blasted through the speakers, the work has the imprint of Gulgee all across it.
A bit further down the corridor from Gulgee’s artwork is the display created by Karachi Community Radio (KCR), an independent online radio which promotes music and culture in Pakistan through showcasing local music. The KCR contributes to the contemporary art and music scene through live streams, audio/ visual shows and virtual productions. Titled Saaz, KCR’s work explores the increasingly important, yet complicated, relationship between the realm of technology and the world of classical music. As the digital encroaches further and further into the domain of the physical and the human, KCR asks whether the domain of performance, virtuosity and the expression of the soul
through an instrument can remain sacred.
Another exhibit at the NJV School brings to life a 200-year old copy of Firdousi’s Shahnama belonging to the NJV School library through augmented reality. Dennis Rudolph uses 3D paintings through his Simurgh App to give visitors a guided experience of the Persian epic narrative poem. Further down M.A. Jinnah Road from the NJV School lies Hamid Market. This building houses the work of Singaporean artist Alecia Neo. Her exhibit, Power to the People, is inspired by Saddar’s rich historical significance and acts an ode to the
people whose labour builds and sustains a city. Moving hands and symbolic objects honour the lives and labour of the people who have resided in and contributed to the history, legacy and vibrancy of Saddar.
A network of interconnected wires, light bulbs, mirrors, layer the room within Hamid Market. However, the most arresting work at Hamid Market, and perhaps even at KB22 as a whole, is the work of Imran Qureshi. Titled In the Bright House of Our Delight, Qureshi’s kaleidoscopic work brings to life the profound
The inaugural ceremony of the Third Karachi Biennale took place on October 29th at the historic NJV School, a location which has now become synonymous with the biennale
physical and emotional experiences residents of a local neighbourhood go through when their homes, streets and neighbourhoods undergo an intense transformation. Qureshi focuses on the layers that are added on the facades of homes and neighbourhoods. Through video projection and sound-based work, the boundaries of religious rituals, culture and modern technology merge. One installation in particular, which acts like a hall of mirrors incorporating the festive lights and musical characteristics symbolic of religious and devotional activities in Pakistan, is sure to leave viewers entranced. Rashid Rana’s work at the Frere Hall at KB19 was one of the highlights of the previous biennale, and he has continued along the same thematic thread in his display at this year’s biennale. Located at the NED University (city campus), It Lies Beyond challenges viewers’ perception of the real and the fictional, dismantling these binaries while also asking questions about man’s fragile and negligent relationship with nature in the modern world. Rana’s work, which comprises small images which coalesce to establish a larger theme, is plastered across the walls of a hall at the NED University. From a distance one sees a serene seascape which, on closer inspection, reveals the heaps of garbage that it is composed of. This matrix of garbage also contains within it the illustrations and paintings of sailing ships across the sea, representing sea trade, colonisation, climate change, and the recent floods which ravaged Pakistan. For Rana, this is a showcase of the “sagas that begin and end with the sea.” The conceptual innovation which marks Rana’s artwork is embodied by the spell-binding usage of technology in this exhibit. If viewers point their phone cameras at the images on the wall through the requisite app, several of the pictures suddenly burst into life.
Also at the NED University is the earliermentioned work Microtonal, which takes the form of an interactive, data-driven sound sculpture created from around 200 borindos made by Allah Jurrio and Zulfiqar. Through sound, the work uses the deep cultural and personal history these individuals share with this novel musical instrument to explore the encoded symbolism held within it. This display is the brainchild of an art studio known as Invisible Flock Microtonal is a continuation of their sense-based installations, placing them at the intersection of art and the environment.
Given the sheer breadth and depth of the work on display across the various locations at KB22, the three venues discussed here hardly scratch the surface of what is in store for attendees of the biennale. In a city like Karachi, displaying such a wide-ranging array of artwork across the megalopolis is no mean feat since any such endeavour is ripe with artistic challenges coupled with logistical issues. The biennale thus serves a pivotal role in making citizens engage with their city on a deeper level, and Karachi is all the richer for it.
Ever since it was announced that Humayun Saeed would be appearing in the hit Netflix show The Crown, Pakistani fans of the series were eager to see what Saeed would bring to the 5th season of the show. A newly-released image and some quotes by Saeed have given audiences a taste of what they can expect from his performance. The Pakistani star will be playing the role of Dr. Hasnat Khan in The Crown, the British-Pakistani doctor who was in a relationship with Princess Diana from 1995-1997. While speaking to Variety, Saeed said, “I haven’t played a real life character on-screen and to play the role of Dr. Hasnat Khan who everyone knows due to Princess Diana was a huge responsibility.” The recently unveiled image from The Crown shows the London Nahin Jaunga actor sporting a moustache while dressed in a doctor’s attire. According to Saeed, “Dr. Hasnat Khan and Princess Diana were total opposites. He was a very ordinary man in every way and I feel this is what attracted Princess Diana towards him. His nature and simplicity made him special to her.”
It is no secret that Shaan Shahid’s passion project Zarrar has faced numerous delays. The trailer for the film was released a while ago, and it seemed like the film had fallen prey to production delays since no release date had been set for it. However, all that has now changed. The Waar star took to Twitter to announce to his over 600,000 followers that Zarrar will be hitting cinemas in Pakistan on November 25, 2022. Described as an action-thriller, Shan’s latest offering has been referred to as an entry in the popular spy genre which draws on real life events to supplement its story. The film is directed by Shaan and also stars Kiran Malik as what appears to be, at least according to the trailer, the love interest for the protagonists. The film was reportedly delayed earlier on due to the catastrophic floods in Pakistan. “Launching our dream project Zarrar in November, InshaAllah. The wait is finally over,” wrote the actor in Twitter handle. However, the new release date of Zarrar does mean that it will now clash with another delayed Pakistani film, Tich Button
Ever since its premier at the Toronto International Film Festival, the hype around Shekhar Kapur’s film What’s Love Got To Do With It? has been growing steadily. What is of particular interest to Pakistani film-fans is that Sajal Aly will be playing an important role in this international production. The second instalment of the Red Sea International Film Festival will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 1-10 December, and the fact that the Sajal-starrer has been chosen to open the festival bodes well for the film. Produced and written by Jemima Goldsmith, the film also stars several well-established actors like Lily James, Emma Thompson, Shabana Azmi and Shazad Latif. The romantic-comedy tells a relevant yet light-hearted cross-cultural tale involving British-Pakistanis, Muslims, and the themes of love and marriage, which is exactly the kind of diverse content the Red Sea International Film Festival hopes to promote. Antoine Khalife, the festival’s Director of Arab Programmes and Film Classics, said, “The films set to compete at the Red Sea span a variety of different genres and eras and are created by a wide range of incredibly talented filmmakers.” What’s Love Got To Do With It? will be one of the 131 feature films that are set to be shown at the festival.
By Catherine Hours DORNBIRN.Austria's verdant Vorarlberg region is a pioneer in sustainable design, attracting legions of architects and curious visitors who draw inspiration from its breathtaking buildings.
Communities in the westernmost state of the Alpine country have opted for beauty, comfort and a careful use of resources since the 1960s.
"Every time I come here, I get a big kick out of it. They're 35 years ahead of us," says Pierre Leroy, deputy mayor of Puy-Saint-Andre and part of a French delegation of architects and officials on a study trip to Vorarlberg.
Vorarlberg's sustainable architecture is often referred to as "Baukultur" and crops up across the region -- from collective housing projects to schools and factories.
There is a preference for local building materials: white pine and earth replace concrete whenever possible.
Architecture in Vorarlberg is defined by its clear, compact and functional design, but it does not cut corners on aesthetics. A lot of houses in the region are built to "passive house" standards.
As well as architects, the region's carpenters and craftspeople enjoy great international recognition and are in high demand.
Economy is a guiding principle of the "Vorarlberg School", which does not shy away from using prefabricated parts to reduce costs -- and prioritises energy efficiency.
Energy efficient
The term "passive house" standards in Austria denotes buildings with minimal energy needs due to perfected insulation, specific ventilation, and the installation of solar panels and heat pumps.
A community house in the village of Krumbach makes use of massive triple glazing, while the local Metzler cheese factory was made entirely out of wood and is almost self-sufficient due to its geothermal and solar heating.
The renovated Zwischenwasser town hall meanwhile has reduced its heating needs by a factor of four.
The Vorarlberg region, with its 400,000 inhabitants and 150 architectural offices, boasts of an abundance of wood, hydroelectricity, and a flourishing economy - all leading to a healthy, active and happy lifestyle.
The ingenuity of its people plays a big part too -- they have a reputation for being down to earth and proactive.
Residents in Krumbach also welcomed collective housing projects instead of separate houses without resistance.
"What I'm most proud of is that people are united by a common sense," says Arnold Hirschbuehl, a former mayor of Krumbach who champions the cause of sustainable architecture.
He praised the way people used "resources in the most sustainable way possible, while staying true to themselves."
Not all green
Unlike neighbouring Germany, Vorarlberg is not traditionally a bastion of the Greens: the majority of people in the westernmost region of Austria vote conservative.
"This is a very conservative and Catholic region. People here are pragmatic: they sit down and do things," said French architect Dominique Gauzin-Mueller, a specialist on Vorarlberg's wooden architecture.
"They are ecological because of their moral values and because they care about their children's future," she added.
The state government has supported the ecological movement, with considerable subsidies for housing based on strict criteria since 2001.
These include the quality of indoor air and usage of ecological materials, while prohibiting coal, electric convectors, and PVC in floor coverings.
Some experts wonder whether the successes seen in Vorarlberg can be repeated elsewhere.
The regional style has had an enormous influence on wooden architecture in Europe.
Most architects working with wood in France today have visited Vorarlberg for inspiration. Leroy, who is on his third trip to the region, says: "It's about working together. If we do not cooperate amid the climate crisis, we will fail".
But there are those who see flaws in the model.
Architect Clemens Quirin believes the economic boom in the largely agricultural state has driven up land prices in the lowlands to the extent that creativity and ecology have taken a back seat.
Quirin, the curator of the Vorarlberg Institute of Architecture in Dornbirn, says the standards for housing have been relaxed in recent years.
"Public buildings are still of high quality, but housing projects have been poor for the past 10 years: demand is so high that developers can sell anything."
But Europe's current energy crisis might help reverse that trend by putting ecology back at the centre of those projects, according to Quirin. — AFP