Director Arafat Mazhar revealed in an interview with Samaa Digital that a Pakistani cyberpunk short film is in the making. And we’ve got some good news for you. The film will be released by the end of February.
Named Shehr e Tabassum or City of Smiles, it is the first cyberpunk short film to be released in Pakistan. By looks of the trailer, this movie will surely change the world of film industry in Pakistan.
New Age for Pakistani Film Industry
Pakistani cinema is experiencing an all-time high when it comes to its viewership and total gross. It seems like the makers are experimenting with out of the box concepts, producing movies with a newfound creativity and expansion into different genres. It is refreshing to see that the Pakistani cinema is capable of going above and beyond the typical comedy, romance, and action themes.
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Synopsis
The teaser, released about a year ago, depicts a peaceful and tranquil Pakistan in the year 2071. A few seconds into the teaser we realize the story is about a totalitarian landscape, where people are not allowed to show any expression other than a smile.
The narration in the teaser reveals how a dystopian Pakistani civil war in 2038 ended in a law being passed. A law that eliminated depression, crime, violence, terrorism, and cruelty.
The second teaser further revealed the backstory of the movie briefly.
Arafat Mazhar, who is known for his work to reform blasphemy laws, took to Twitter to give us a little more insight:
A first of its kind animated Urdu short-film set in a dystopian future:
It is year 2071 in Pakistan. There have been no reported instances of terrorism or crime in 3 decades. The cost? Systematic subjugation of human emotion. Welcome to Shehr-e-Tabassum https://t.co/S0jbVJiPTC— Shehr-e-Tabassum (@ShehreTabassum) January 30, 2019
Long Time Coming
SciFi movies are known to expand to philosophical issues and even social/political issues.
You absolutely MUST watch @ShehreTabassum immediately! If you're a fan of Sci-Fi, dystopian films, and disconcerted by Pakistan turning into a surveillance state, catch a screening immediately!#ShehreTabassum pic.twitter.com/K8jevGFn8R
— Amin Shah Gilani 🗝️👨💻 (@amingilani) February 1, 2020
From the @karachikhatmal starter to his conversation, talking about the Islamabad protests and then talking about dissent. (PS, full credit for being an amazingly fun moderator)
To the engagement after #shehretabassum 's screening. A beautiful, engaging and thought provoking film— ء (@H15_Fr35hn355) February 2, 2020
As you all know I have special place in my heart for people who do animations. The highlight at @LahoreMusicMeet for me was to see @ShehreTabassum an animated short dir by: @ArafatMazhar . Kudos to the entire team #animation #pakistan pic.twitter.com/aVGhz87Wsg
— Zeeshan Parwez (@zparwez) February 5, 2020
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A post on Facebook invites everyone for the screening of the short film for the first time in Lahore, with limited seats available the screening is FREE AND OPEN FOR ALL. So, if you’re in Lahore, don’t miss out on the opportunity to witness a milestone in the film industry.
Are you as pumped to watch this one of a kind Pakistani cyberpunk short film as we are? Let us know!
