‘Slackistan’ – Still in the face of Sanctions

 

 

 

‘Slackistan’ is an art film written and directed by Hammad khan, way back in 2010. It was at that time really popular and buzzy among the select few rich kids of Pakistan, but I wasn’t aware of it back then. I saw it a few weeks ago, and I liked it.

‘Slackistan’ is the burger equivalent to the drama, ‘Humsafar’, as the entire cast was full of people on their way to fame in either singing or acting. Many of them who I like and are extremely talented and one that I do not like. Hint he only has one scene. Anyway watching the movie almost ten years down the line, I found myself asking – Has it really been that long?

The movie follows several young graduates of Islamabad’s elite, or something along those lines. Our main narrator and character is Hassan. Who is really cute. As the movie goes on Hassan talks about his friends, his life and shares his thoughts on the country and what’s going on around him. There is no main plot and all of the characters are going through something, which made them feel real. This is a very real depiction of our teenagers, and how things were back then, and in a way still our for us.

It was filmed in a manner which is unique and innovative for Pakistani audiences, as our mainstream movies typically deal greatly in male and female driven heroic love stories, which have dance songs and extended shots of riches and well obviously come of as romantic and fantastical. You watch them and are transported into a fantasy place, but with ‘Slackistan’ you are in the place you want to get away with.

I guess because it was very different and verbally bold for our general audience it did not get a lot of attention, and it was actually banned. Many stated that it was not a family picture, as if that was a bad thing. But I am happy that they went against the classic desi block buster formula, and made a movie that has something to say, and keeps the tempo mellow and soft.

The shooting style could have been better, and the music was nice, again, it was very different and refreshing, but there weren’t many Urdu songs – just the one. By the end I did find myself identifying and feeling a connection for the characters, and I wanted to know what would happen to them.

Social commentary

Pakistani films, and the directors seem to be under this great pressure to address every social issue that society. Every movie, is under the pressure to satisfy and appeal to everyone, and it has to have everything or else why even make movies?

I think this pressure is prevalent because people feel like giving morals or something justice based will give the movie more respect or authority, but that is not true. You can’t mix everything into an hour. There is nothing wrong with addressing problems, but not at the cost of the characters or their development. Shoaib Mansoor’s films have that in them, the issue is stronger than the character, so the human connection is bleached. I still like them, but this is how I feel. The same can be said about some dramas.

‘Slackistan’, actually handled this very well, they showcased the issues through the main characters eyes, and for the others things they showed the characters were going through those issues. Their mild reactions to the things they are unable to control is natural and the real thing, it’s not like all of us our heroes. This way they were able to feel through a lot and mold the growth and change in the characters.

 

Social Decadence 

As a people we have been dealing with terrorism for many years, in result of which we have become desensitized to the sight and the extent of the violence around us. This was portrayed very well in the movie, for the most part the boys and girls don’t know what to do, and have internalized a lot, as everything is falling a part.

As a part of dealing with the trauma or shock of everything that is going on around them, they do what all of us do, they ignore it. As a defense mechanism we ignored a lot and maneuvered our way into existence, we live in denial, then some terror attack happens, we get scared for a while, but then we get over it. I don’t any other country in the world has gone through the kind of terrorism that we have.

It was a very honest show of how Pakistani people deal with things falling a part, which Western films and media has always denied us. I feel like anyone to watched that trashy show, ‘Homeland’ should also watch ‘Slackistan’, just so they can see what Islamabad actually looks like. It actually is a good movie for Western audiences, it has tropes that they might like.

Sanctions and Censorship 

As mentioned ‘Slackistan’ like most of our movies was banned as soon as it was released on the big screen. This only happens to movies that actually have something to say, and want people to form an opinion, since they never ban any Bollywood movies. On the bright and ironic side, the act of banning them, actually makes the movies more popular. You think they would have learned that.

It was banned for having profane language, and for it not being child friendly.

I would just like to say that there should be public respect for artistic freedom for our own artists and writers. Hollywood, Bollywood and Turkish media gets away with too much, it is an insult that our own are not even allowed to get their foot through the door.  Just because they made one person angry.

Pakistani people have a right, weither they like it or not to a variety of media and opinions, they deserve to have information that makes them think and reflect. Not every movie is just there to entertain or become the voice of justice. Some movies are there for the sake of culture,art and to show you how different people exist. And there needs to be a surplus of films, dramas, reports, vlogs and documentaries for the sake of maintenance.

Besides that, we cannot have our cake and eat it too. If we are tired about all the wrong and negative media or representation we get from the Western world, then we have to make our own media and drown out the falseness. We need to speak for ourselves, and this one of the ways that we can, and we must be a part of the conversation.

 

In conclusion, this is an art film which will become more popular and nostalgic with time, and we will look back at it and say, I can’t believe times used to be that bad.

 

 

 

Lahore by Night – or just a little

During the early winters of last year , I had found a new wasteful but enjoyable pass time.  Photography was something new for me , it was not something anyone ever associated me with , no , I was always poems , writers , something beautiful from the past , the moon child who just didn’t seem to bloom  like the others had .

And I was not very good in the long beginning,  most of my friends said it was a flop of a pursuit,  but  it didn’t matter , because I was sad and writing was common and lonely, photography was new and full of people.  Eventually I got better and people liked my stuff,  and I spent most of those winter nights praying in strange scenarios for a proper, professional camera. I still dont have one , but one day I might , and when that day comes I’m going to take my picture projects to the next level.

Two years earlier,  I came across this article about Brassi and his Paris de nuit ” pictures.  I fell in love with them , so it was fun when I tried out his concept .
Besides it was better and more applicable for me , since most of the photographers for Lahore jump into the old city or the market areas. I don’t live close to those places , the city is too big and full of excess . So in the night , in the light winter chill with the birthday phone I set out to keep my mind busy with cold hands and heavy white breathing , not to mention the pale shade of berry pink all over my face .

Well ,  I did have fun. The strange part is the streets seemed empty.  I always hear about Lahore as the city that never sleeps and the people just stay busy all night and basically the festivities never stop for them , unike Islamabad.  Islamabad has a fixed bedtime but when I was there the night was just as charming – up there right on top of the mountain restaurant. Monal , everyone loves that place , mostly because of the view and the city lights . Right down on the ground,  dazzling , sparkling like the belly of the sea .
Let me show you.

Anyhow, the food was okay , and the waiters were stuck up and rude. Nothing comes out completely perfect , not even a fancy dinner with an epic view of the capital .

Back to Lahore , I started of with nightime lights and sometimes even cars or motorcycles because I think they look romantic at night.

The roads were silent,  very silent,  so I suppose my attempt of using photography to get more social in the real solid world did not go so well. In the virtual world its like a whole new world opened up for me and I made lots of new friends,  friends like myself.  It was a good playful time with no hard feelings , which is good because whenever things get painful I tend to abandon the whole thing and wipe it out of memory.

Ofcourse as with all arts , you begin to judge yourself.  Especially when everyone seems to be so much better and famous for it compared to you . Leading you to wonder what it must be that you are doing wrong .

But that’s okay . This is probably the point in your life where you get hurt or overwhelmed by the weight of the world , when your parents think its a good thing not to be protecting you anymore . Maybe its good to let you fall and break a little and stich back the fabric with what ever you can find while trying to hide the scars .

The nights were like that to cold ,present , covering yet lonesome . Often you just find yourself alone looking at the people who are going towards the mosque  or going on a walk with headphones on , or some boys driving around a lot faster than they should with the music on loud . Too loud but in a nice way. Somewhere in the dark of the park you’ll find chain smoking teenagers dealing with addictions and being rebellious like we all were . And close to them someone will be on the swings , rocking the chains up and down , a rather cringe worthy sound – you can hear from a far away distance. Back in the streets you can find small kids playing outside their houses while their parents are inside discussing the revolts in Islamabad.  What a time it was to be alive . Like a couple of months ago when it felt anything was going to happen , and maybe it did .

Im still waiting for something to happen. Something to just break inside of me so I wont be dead anymore.  Because even a dead night if full of wonder and complexity.  And that air was full of change which anyone could breathe except me . Stagnant as the sea and hopeless as the desert,  waiting and waiting.

Will it happen ? That moment of closure and growth – or will it always be like this? ;
For the city it will all change , my father reminds me everything when we drive around how much everything has changed since he was young . Fields turned into housing plots and donkey carts turned into cars .
I wonder how much it will change for me .