New Delhi: Pakistan is all set to make its mark on the French Riviera once again after the internationally acclaimed film Joyland won accolades at Canne in 2022. This time, In Flames, the directorial debut of Canadian-Pakistani filmmaker Zarrar Kahn, has been selected for the Directors’ Fortnight, an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival.
It is the second Pakistani film to receive such a selection in 43 years. The first time a Pakistani film was screened here was The Blood of Hussain (1980), directed by Jamil Dehlavi. The film was later banned by then-President Gen Zia-ul-Haq for its depiction of State repression.
It is the first South Asian ‘horror’ film to be picked by the Directors’ Fortnight.
In Flames is set in Karachi and portrays a mother and daughter torn apart by real and imagined people after the family patriarch dies. The rest of the plot focuses on how they draw strength from one another in the face of the evil that threatens to swallow them.
Who is Zarrar Kahn?
Kahn is known for making gender-sensitive films where reality and fantasy collide and co-exist within themes of gender oppression and patriarchy. His other films include Dia (2018), 1978 (2020), Stray Dogs Come Out at Night (2020), and Bhai (2021), all of which have been well-received at international film festivals.
His works have been screened and awarded in over 70 film festivals worldwide, including TIFF, Locarno, and BFI London.
In Flames premiered at the Frontières Buyers Showcase at Marche du Cannes and was the first Pakistani project to be nominated for the Berlinale Talent Project Market.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Kahn said that he appreciates the horror genre because it creates a “shared cathartic experience” and can also champion feminism and give agency to female characters in hypermasculine contexts.
“With In Flames, I mean to explore the consequences of living in the confines of a fiercely patriarchal society to illuminate the psychological impact of gendered oppression and the horror of being young and in love in Pakistan, to know the legacy of familial violence, and the desire to break free from the ghosts of our past,” the 32-year-old wrote in his director’s statement on the movie.
He added that horror can also be a powerful medium through which South Asian filmmakers can explore their lived realities, mythologies, and folklore.
The French Directors’ Guild, Société des Réalisateurs de Films, runs parallel to the Cannes Film Festival and premiered in 1969 as Quinzaine des Réalisateurs. This year, it has 20 features and 10 shorts, one of which is In Flames. The event will be held from 16 May to 27 May.
Agra, a film by Indian director Kanu Behl, has also been selected for the Directors’ Fortnight.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)