So many people here have reached out to their contacts in parts of Sindh, bordering Rajasthan to help me in my search for puppeteers, but thus far, all signs point to Punjab. There used to be puppeteers here, but like so much, this place seems to be decaying and dying. Honestly, I have a hard time with the deep levels of helplessness and despair I see in the disintegration of safety, culture and at times it seems humanity all around. I see bits of hope in the efforts of people around me to create institutions that support communities and bring better prospects to students. However, these efforts seem to be dwarfed by the rapid decline of seemingly everything around us. My students don’t seem to be crushed by that sense of helplessness. They know just this reality that they are in, and are working towards a better future in their lives.It’s very depressing that so many puppeteers have gone to unskilled types of work, like selling vegetables or eggs to sustain themselves, and have thus stopped passing down their art and essentially disappeared from contact. Things never go as planned on any of the projects I have created in Pakistan. They have thus far worked out, thanks to the help of many people, but not once have things gone as planned despite my best efforts to plan and prepare. There are always points where I question why I was foolish enough to try something so seemingly out of reach. Yet I know that when I find the right people, the humility and skill I get to work with here makes me quickly forget the pain of endless weeks of fruitless searches.
In the US, I watch the decline of my livelihood in animation and the depressing work conditions that only worsen. Here, I see a lot of untapped resources that are very challenging to reach. There are so many apathetic and ingenuine people that have contributed to this mess, that it takes every bit of my mind to keep inching forward, and working towards realizing the vision for “Risalo”. If I did not feel as strongly as I do about the source material and the value of the art I wish to incorporate, I would never have gone to such lengths to be here.
The photos are from a late night at the Sindh University Arts Department. My faculty friends were printing some brochure pages for a thesis show that is being put together with a great deal of care and effort. This work was being done late at night after busy days of administration and teaching. I’m a little lost, not knowing where I am going at times as most people are speaking Sindhi to each other. Efforts are certainly being made to help me with this project. I could use a few more positive results soon. Let’s hope we can find some puppeteers in Sindh before they vanish.
