Sandstorm

International Short Film Contest 50 ED. 2022
Pakistan 2021 20' Fiction

Zara, a schoolgirl in Karachi (Pakistan), shares a sensual dance video with her virtual boyfriend, who then blackmails her. Caught between his manipulative behaviour and the desire to experience love on her own terms, Zara searches for the strength to reject the confines of a patriarchal society.

Seemab Gul

Seemab is an award-winning writer/director and producer from Pakistan. Her documentary Zahida, was broadcast on Al Jazeera and won the Audience Award at Tasveer SAFF. Her films have been screened in Uppsala, FNC Montreal, Dok Leipzig, Sheffield Doc Fest, Geneva Contemporary Art Centre and many international festivals. Her short film Sandstorm (Mulaqat) premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival and in competition at Sundance 2022. Seemab is an alumna of the Locarno OD Producers Lab, Biennale College Cinema and Berlinale Talents. She graduated from the London Film School.

TECHNICAL DATA
DIRECTION:

Seemab Gul

SCRIPT:

Seemab Gul

PRODUCTION:

Sanat Initiative (Pakistan), Instinct Productions (UK)

EDITING:

Raluca Petre, Seemab Gul

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Alberto Balazs

ORIGINAL MUSIC:

Hollie Buhagiar, Baluji Shrivastav

SOUND:

Faiz Zaidi

COSTUME DESING:

Aafreen Shahab

CAST:

Parizae Fatima, Hamza Mushtaq, Ayesha Shoaib Ahmed, Nabila Khan, Aun Ali Saleem, Masuma Halai Khwaja, Qasim Ali

CONTACT:

distribution.sayonarafilm@gmail.com