Watching "Moor"

After some work in the morning, we head over to Fortress Stadium, to get away from the hustle bustle of the older parts of the city for a bit. We hopped on a rickshaw and went there. I wanted to check out a film called “Moor”, so we went to a nice movie theater in a mall to watch it there.It is really great to see the Pakistani film industry reviving. This isn’t just about making new movies, but about developing all the talent that goes into making something great. Based on my own, very grassroots efforts to create a film here, I can certainly appreciate the challenges. Though a number of these films are sponsored by local tv channels, I have no doubt that each production deals with untold numbers of challenges to reach the screen, whether funded by a local media outlet or not. It is very promising to see channels supporting films, as that is probably the only way to create a financially viable industry. The sheer number of films coming out seems to indicate that companies are making enough money to continue. I look forward to this commercial industry paving the way for a parallel cinema in the future that represents the quality of writing I see in short stories and novels in our local literature.I had seen trailers for “Moor”, directed by Jami, known for his music video work. The shots from the trailers, featuring landscapes from Balochistan were gorgeous. The composition and color was truly breathtaking. The film itself felt rather long. There were a lot of beautiful shots, and I liked the premise of the story, which was quite different than some of the other Pakistani films coming out. “Moor” seemed to try and tackle something a bit deeper and made an attempt at portraying the intersections of class and various struggles that are very much connected. The strongest scenes to me were the montage scenes, which were more poetic and similar to music videos. The rest of it had a lot of visual beauty, which is no small feat in itself, but in terms of the characters, their humanity and dimensionality, I felt that much could be done to build upon this start in the future.Things were quite dramatic, yet the dialogue and progression of the story did not seem to effectively build up to moments that created an understanding in the viewer, rather than just telling us what happened, or perhaps pushing too many stories and moments into the film without allowing them to develop in a satisfying way.Anyway, I was glad to see “Moor”, regardless. In a country where so much is falling apart, it brings me a great deal of joy to see what seems to me, a real honest effort at something better. As a filmmaker myself, I marvel at all the successfully executed parts of the film and aspire to learn and do my best in my own work. I certainly look forward to Jami’s future work. Seeing a work with so much beauty, it is easy to focus on what is lacking, but as a filmmaker, it reminds me how astonishingly difficult it is to connect on all the levels that a truly great film can. Each film is hopefully a step towards getting there.Afterwards we walked around the nice malls, ate some food and walked around a bunch more before heading back to the hostel. Ustad Anb Jogi was on his way back from Islamabad. It’s a long and grueling ride back to Hyderabad, so he stopped in to get some sleep. It was good to see him before he head out once again in the early morning to get the rest of the way home.

Nisbat, Beadon, Hall

I head out to Nisbat, Beadon and Hall road, to check out lighting gear. It takes a lot to ask questions and even more to get any real answers about anything and everything. A few hours in the heat and your day is done. My friend Ustad Anb Jogi dropped by at night on his way to Islamabad.

Light from Nisbat

After a bit of calling around, I learned that Sunday was the day that different markets sold cut piece or smaller pieces of cloth. I don’t know why the many shops I asked never offered up this information, but that is the way much of the information gathering for this project has been.That saved me a lot of needless travel in the morning. I did some small video tests with my available lighting and camera equipment. I researched some lighting options locally, thanks to help from an LED specialist I had met in Los Angeles, who is from Pakistan. He had given me the local manager of his business’ number in Karachi. I called him, mentioned his boss and he helped me right away. I sent him specs on a simple LED light I had, and he looked up the closest match. Not only that, he found a retailer with a reasonable price. Based on that, I found one here in Lahore with the same price, then went and picked it up.Afterwards, we grabbed some food at Gawal Mandi, the so called “Food Street”. A bit of walking in traffic after, followed by a rickshaw ride back and the day was done. The new light is pretty good. Of course it is missing a nut, so I need to ask about it or find a replacement nut, but it is pretty bright. I think if I can pick up one more and find some lamps for the photo bulbs I brought, I should be covered for lighting. The alternative would be to rent higher end gear, but I like these lights for being light, portable, battery operated, not prone to heating up and sufficient to light the small area needed for this puppetry film.