Pakistan and Afghanistan may have several political issues forming a divide between their ‘brotherhood’ but just like other countries, the artists of both the countries act as a means of bridge of prosperity between the neighbours.
On Friday, 28 July 2017, a documentary focusing on human rights issues was presented at the Centre for Excellence in Journalism in Karachi. It contained audio and video works by both Pakistanis and Afghanis.The Pakistani and Afghani makers seemed to have really hard on their masterpiece.
These documentaries were produced in a first-of-its-kind residential training programme that brought together documentary makers from Pakistan and Afghanistan in Karachi from 17-28 July 2017. The training was led by award-winning journalists from Serbia, Sonja Ristic and Zoran Ćulafić.
In an interview shared by Pakistan Today, Mohammad Behroozian from Afghanistan said,
Bringing different people together is always a fascinating idea. You get different perspectives, skill sets and different ways of thinking.
Talking about the benefits of Pakistan and Afghanistan working together he said,
It is even more important when the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan come together. The people-to-people diplomacy will, hopefully, result in better relations between the people of the two countries.
From Pakistani side, Saed Nazir said,
here is a wide gap between the journalists of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Such types of training definitely help build better understanding among professionals and improve the prospects of peace, because these people have the power to build public opinion.
This film ‘Sound is Silence’ revolves around a 15-year-old girl Fariah, who was born hearing impaired. Following this girl’s story the film brings into light the struggles a deaf person has to face living in Karachi. It further explores how this disability brings different obstacles in their way of success. This heart touching and eye opening film is made by Nameera Ahmad from Pakistan with 2 fellows from Afghanistan.
Radio journalist Saed Nazir from Pakistan produced an audio documentary tapping into a somewhat taboo topic in our country; transgenders and their struggles to survive in Pakistan as well as the hindrances they face to enter into the mainstream professions and maintain their positions.
