City of God, May 11, 2008

Curiously enough, there is a congruence between the themes explored in our next film, City of God, and the dates May 11 and May 12. On May 11, 1998, the sub-continent went irrevocably nuclear. On May 12, 2007, the terrorists of MQM (as alleged by practically every serious commentator and analyst of the Pakistani political and socio-economic environment) unleashed mayhem on our crumbling City of Lights.

Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the film was nominated in several categories at the Oscars in 2003, won the best foreign film award at the British Independents in 2003, was nominated for the same at the 2003 BAFTAs, won the 2003 BAFTA best editing award and won or was in the running for awards at film festivals around the world. Perhaps the most intriguing and revealing citation was from the jury for the FIPRESCI prize, awarded to director Fernando Meirelles, at the 2002 Havana Film Festival: “For approaching the explosive theme of social exclusion, using an ambitious, complex and involving style of narration, without moralising or condoning violence.”

Show Information:
Date: Sunday, 11 May 2008
Time: 05:00 PM

Venue: Punjab Lok Rahs
Flat # 8, Third Floor, RB1, Awami Complex
Garden Town Lahore.
042 5940166, 0333 4320802

Salam Bombay!

 

This weekend, we’re showing the long-awaited Mira Nair masterpiece “Salam Bombay!“. Created in 1988, this film is among three Indian films (Mother India, Salam Bombay and Lagaan) that have made it to the final five nominees at the Oscars.

Mira worked with “real” street children in this film. Long before the shooting started, she was in Bombay doing theater workshops and short performance with street kids as a part of her auditions for the film. The real life characters portrayed by the kids in this film are astonishing.

This film was nominated for Oscars and BAFTA awards, but won several others including Cannes, Cesar, Filmfare, Golden Globes, Montreal World Film Festival and National Film Awards India.

The Director: Mira Nair
One of the most successful Indian directors of her generation, Mira Nair started off making documentaries on the streets of Delhi before turning to feature films such as Salaam Bombay and Mississipi Masala.

She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University.

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For the time being, each film will be screened twice, on Friday and on Sunday, mainly to accommodate working people.

So, the second screening of this film will be held on Sunday 13th April, 2008 at 5 PM.

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Awami Complex? Where’s that?!