A stirring and sad film about the rise of fundamentalism in Pakistan under General Zia-ul-Haq in 1979, leading to intolerance, violence, and the reassertion of patriarchal control of women. Director Subiha Sumar does an interesting thing in relating this back to the events of 1947 when Pakistan was forming, with flashbacks revealing a story of Sikhs having killed their women so that they wouldn't fall into the hands of Muslims, the ultimate violence and control. The film is specific to Pakistan history but the theme of the harmful effect of religious extremism (and its siblings, nationalism and populism) are of course universal, and a mob of angry men shouting hateful slogans are never a good sign anywhere. I liked the humanism in the characters who are good-natured and tolerant - the mother (Kirron Kher) and the barber, both of whom eventually get indignant over the young holier-than-thou upstarts. The psychology of those who join the fundamentalists is also explored, and it's interesting to see the arc of the son (Aamir Ali) go from finding a purpose, to feeling more power in a group, to becoming a statesman decades later. The performances are all solid and the pace of the film never lags, all of which make it an engaging watch.
Review of Silent Waters
