Inspired by the story of social media star Qandeel Baloch, who was murdered by her brother in 2016 for what he deemed bringing dishonor on her family through online posts that would be considered mild by Western standards, “Wakhri” is a film that leans on its impressive visuals in order to make it rather pointed comments. It is also worth mentioning that it has just passed government censors in Pakistan, and will be released in the country starting January.
Wakhri is screening at Red Sea Film Festival
Noor is a young widow who teaches in a school in Karachi, with her life goal being to raise funds for an all-girls school in Lahore, fed up by the intense patriarchy of the local society, who has, among other things, girls of school age being part of arranged marriages. Gucci, her cross-dressing best friend is the only real support she has in life,...
Wakhri is screening at Red Sea Film Festival
Noor is a young widow who teaches in a school in Karachi, with her life goal being to raise funds for an all-girls school in Lahore, fed up by the intense patriarchy of the local society, who has, among other things, girls of school age being part of arranged marriages. Gucci, her cross-dressing best friend is the only real support she has in life,...
- 12/9/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
A Pakistani film that challenges regional cultural stereotypes of women and trans-people is to get a local theatrical release following its world premiere at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival.
“Wakhri: One of a Kind” by Los Angeles-based, Pakistan-born writer-director Iram Parveen Bilal, has been passed by government censors in Islamabad and is due to be released in cinemas by Karachi-based distributor Mandviwalla Entertainment on Jan. 5, 2024.
The film — which is inspired by the “brave spirits” of women who have challenged the patriarchy in Pakistan, including social media star Qandeel Baloch, who was murdered by her brother in 2016 for what he deemed bringing dishonor on her family through online posts that would be considered mild by Western standards — features strong performances by its two debut leads, Faryal Mehmood — who plays Noor, a young widow trying to raise funds for a new girls’ school – and Gulshan Majeed, as Gucchi, her cross-dressing best friend.
“Wakhri: One of a Kind” by Los Angeles-based, Pakistan-born writer-director Iram Parveen Bilal, has been passed by government censors in Islamabad and is due to be released in cinemas by Karachi-based distributor Mandviwalla Entertainment on Jan. 5, 2024.
The film — which is inspired by the “brave spirits” of women who have challenged the patriarchy in Pakistan, including social media star Qandeel Baloch, who was murdered by her brother in 2016 for what he deemed bringing dishonor on her family through online posts that would be considered mild by Western standards — features strong performances by its two debut leads, Faryal Mehmood — who plays Noor, a young widow trying to raise funds for a new girls’ school – and Gulshan Majeed, as Gucchi, her cross-dressing best friend.
- 12/4/2023
- by Nick Holdsworth
- Variety Film + TV
A first trailer has been unveiled for Pakistani-u.S. director Iram Parveen Bilal’s Pakistan-set “Wakhri: One of a Kind,” which will have its world premiere at the upcoming Red Sea Film Festival.
Bilal was named one of the directors to watch by the Alliance of Women Directors in 2020. Her previous film, “I’ll Meet You There,” was in the Grand Jury competition at SXSW in 2020 and was banned on its release in Pakistan.
“Wakhri” follows a widowed school teacher in Pakistan who becomes a viral sensation overnight when she accidentally unleashes her unabashed opinions on social media. This newfound fame as an unlikely influencer comes with its own challenges as she has to navigate archaic mindsets and secret identities while raising her 10-year-old son in a world where women’s rights to having a voice and owning space, physical or online, are a constant challenge.
The film is inspired...
Bilal was named one of the directors to watch by the Alliance of Women Directors in 2020. Her previous film, “I’ll Meet You There,” was in the Grand Jury competition at SXSW in 2020 and was banned on its release in Pakistan.
“Wakhri” follows a widowed school teacher in Pakistan who becomes a viral sensation overnight when she accidentally unleashes her unabashed opinions on social media. This newfound fame as an unlikely influencer comes with its own challenges as she has to navigate archaic mindsets and secret identities while raising her 10-year-old son in a world where women’s rights to having a voice and owning space, physical or online, are a constant challenge.
The film is inspired...
- 11/6/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
U.S.-Pakistani director Iram Parveen Bilal has wrapped principal photography at Pakistan locations on her fourth film “One of a Kind” (aka “Wakhri”).
Inspired by and offering tribute to unapologetic social media influencers like the slain Qandeel Baloch, the film is set in the world of patriarchal social media trolling and the burgeoning underground scene of the so-called “misfits” in modern-day Pakistan. It follows a Pakistani schoolteacher who accidentally unleashes the power of social media, unabashedly challenging the patriarchy. As she tries to keep her online identity a secret, she’s gradually exposed to society’s dangerous underbelly and forced to manage the repercussions.
Bilal describes the project as a “grounded masala” film that promises thought-provoking subject matter whilst also featuring loud Punjabi-language club tracks and Urdu-language rap songs to dance and chant with.
Bilal was named one of the directors to watch by the Alliance of Women Directors in 2020. Her previous film,...
Inspired by and offering tribute to unapologetic social media influencers like the slain Qandeel Baloch, the film is set in the world of patriarchal social media trolling and the burgeoning underground scene of the so-called “misfits” in modern-day Pakistan. It follows a Pakistani schoolteacher who accidentally unleashes the power of social media, unabashedly challenging the patriarchy. As she tries to keep her online identity a secret, she’s gradually exposed to society’s dangerous underbelly and forced to manage the repercussions.
Bilal describes the project as a “grounded masala” film that promises thought-provoking subject matter whilst also featuring loud Punjabi-language club tracks and Urdu-language rap songs to dance and chant with.
Bilal was named one of the directors to watch by the Alliance of Women Directors in 2020. Her previous film,...
- 12/5/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
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