A Pakistani-Canadian production, In Flames, just turned up the heat at the world’s largest film festival, premiering at the Directors Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. This makes it the first Pakistani film to do so in the last 40 years, as the last film to receive this honour was Blood of Hussain, directed by Jamil Dehlavi.

From grabbing international headlines, with The Hollywood Reporter calling it a “hidden gem” and a “vivid psychological thriller”, to standing ovations when the film was screened at the theatre, In Flames seems to be a roaring success.

But it doesn’t end there. Director Zarrar Kahn and producer Anam Abbas highlight how the film is building bridges with the international film community. For instance, while at Cannes, the team got a chance to network with filmmakers from the Global South, as well as from other Muslim countries. They attended and participated in panel discussions.

Indian director Anurag Kashyup came to watch In Flames and the team, in turn, also attended his film Kennedy’s screening. XYZ Films is distributing In Flames worldwide, which means that this psychological horror/thriller will be seen by thousands of people all around the world.

That is an exciting thought. A Pakistani story, starring Ramesha Nawal, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Adnan Shah Tipu, Omair Javaid and Mohammad Ali Hashmi, shown to people outside of Pakistan, helps the rest of us in this country feel seen.

Director Zarrar Kahn and producer Anam Abbas hope to build bridges between local and international audiences with their feature In Flames, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival

And whatever exists in Pakistan, is what people will see. The good, the bad, and the ugly. For instance, In Flames is shot in various areas of Karachi. “Gulistan-i-Jauhar, off Tariq Road, the beach, Gulshan-i-Iqbal. We wanted to show both the urban experience and the relief that comes with escaping to the beach,” reveals Zarrar Kahn while speaking to Icon.

He further discloses that “the character of Mariam, played stunningly by Ramesha Nawal, drives in Karachi. So many journalists whom we met at Cannes could not believe that a young woman could drive independently in Pakistan! We need our films to show the truth of our culture — the beauty and the terror. Unvarnished.”

Nawal describes it as a “surreal experience” to see the kind of reaction her character and performance received at Cannes. “It was great to see the audience enjoying our film, particularly at the premiere. Audience members came up to me and shared their experiences of how they identified with the character, Mariam. It was such a good feeling knowing that people were connecting with us,” she shares.

What to expect from In Flames

The film touches upon contemporary Pakistani issues, showing how patriarchy impacts women and creates an environment of violence and fear.

“It is impossible to live in Pakistan and not be aware of the gender disparity when it comes to access, independence and a right to live with dignity,” Kahn says. The film, yet to premiere in Pakistan, blends together real-life horrors of our patriarchal society, and features supernatural horrors as well.

“It is divisive — it speaks bluntly to the horror and trauma and resilience of Pakistani society, and so, it stirs debate. I believe art should be polarising, and should create a conversation. People either love it or hate it,” he adds.

Will it do well in Pakistan, considering Pakistan’s problem with censorship and general sensitivity towards anything that challenges the status quo? “I believe Pakistani audiences are ready for genre fare like In Flames. Our audiences love movies that titillate, that excite and genre fare allows a film to be more accessible to a wider audience.

“I remember watching an Urdu dubbed version of The Nun at Cineplex in Karachi and the audience was so invigorated! I am confident our film should not have any issues with censorship. It is not that kind of film. However, the situation in Pakistan is always evolving, so I hope for the best,” answers a very optimistic Kahn.

Anam Abbas, however, has a more pragmatic approach. “There will always be people who do not understand the trajectory of this kind of visibility, and so will question it. But those who do understand the work put in, they will simply celebrate.”

The million dollar question on everyone’s mind, of course, is how the filmmakers reached Cannes. Was the process simple?

“We submitted In Flames late December and heard very early on in the selection process. There are maybe some aspects of film festivals that are gate-kept. But a very early decision and an enthusiastic reception here indicates that the film was really enjoyed and appreciated for what it is, and that really solidified our place in this festival,” answers Abbas.

The cast and crew

Speaking of the cast, Kahn reveals that many actors are first-timers, including Ramesha Nawal. “This was Ramesha’s first time on camera, and she is an incredible talent. In the co-lead was Bakhtwar Mazhar, who essays the role of Fariha. Bakhtawar was with us on the short film, Dia [2018], which was the inspiration for the feature.

“I have learned so much about life and art from Bakhtawar, and she is brilliant in the film,” he continues. “Rounding out the cast is the exceptional Mohammad Ali Hashmi, who gives an intricate performance as the jovial rickshaw driver, Saleem. The legendary Tipu gives a phenomenal performance as Uncle Nasir, and we had Calgary-based Omar Javaid fly in to play the role of the happy-go-lucky Asad. Finally, we had one child performer, Jibran Khan, who is from Karachi, and was a joy to have on set.”

Considering it was her first time on the big screen, Nawal has successfully cemented her place in the cinematic landscape. “Before In Flames, I had only been acting for four months with Sheema Kermani, as part of her group Tehrik-i-Niswaan,” shares Nawal. “Before getting this role, I had given an audition for a TV channel and it hadn’t gone too well. I came home and felt very disappointed in myself.”

Despite the disappointments, Nawal kept pursuing auditions and finally landed an audition for the character of Mariam.

Clearly, filmmaking is not an easy profession here. It takes a lot to put together a production, and this was something the team of In Flames faced as well. “The shoot lasted 25 days, and we had every challenge possible,” recalls Kahn. “We lost locations, we had cast members get Covid-19, rapid fuel inflation. But it was thanks to our incredible production team — Anam Abbas and Carol Noronha — that we were able to get through the shoot.

“Also, I have to mention our first AD, Farjad Akhtar, who was used to working on much bigger budgeted sets — he came to us from Mehreen Jabbar’s web series — but was happy to accommodate our tight schedule and fluctuating needs. It takes a village to make a movie, and In Flames was only possible through the incredible hard work and energy of our Karachi cast and crew.”

After facing difficulty in putting together a production, Pakistani filmmakers then often struggle to find an audience at the box office as well. In fact, there’s a pattern emerging, in which local artists feel the need to receive an international stamp of approval first, and widespread acceptance and celebration in Pakistan later. Sometimes, there is a lag in finding appreciation on our own turf.

Commenting on this, Hashmi tells Icon, “There’s a saying ‘ghar ki murghi daal barabar’ [even what is extraordinary is treated as ordinary because of familiarity] and I think that applies here. Having said that, the Pakistani film industry is still in its infancy compared to international cinema. But the fact that this young country has produced powerhouse actors and filmmakers who are celebrated and praised internationally, only goes to show the sheer talent the country possesses.”

Looking ahead

Despite the challenges that the film tackled to gain its footing, the filmmakers and stars are very optimistic about the future of In Flames, both locally and internationally.

“We’re a tiny film that made it to the world’s biggest festival!” says Kahn, while Hashmi thinks that “the new generation of artists are utilising tools that were not available to us before, which limited who could make films. With international grants, Kickstarters and social media, we have more unique voices and those voices are finally being heard both in Pakistan and around the world.”

Abbas believes that “the more Pakistani independent cinema is successful and the more we travel, the more an audience is created for us.”

“Now that In Flames has premiered at Cannes, I hope it is seen all over the world,” says Nawal. “But what I want the most is for the people of Pakistan to see it, especially girls and women. Because Pakistan is home and this is a Pakistani woman’s story.”

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 11th, 2023