The Prevailing Sensibilities

Colliding with the structures and cultures of bureaucracy is not something new that ordinary Pakistanis have to face on almost regular basis, yet observing it from a close eye and then understanding its complexities and the way it kills ideas and political assertions became my personal experience in the past few days. This is when I submitted Talking Faith, my first documentary film, to an event organised by the British High Commission in Islamabad, London International Documentary Festival and Geo Television called “Filmmaking for Social Change�.

I produced Talking Faith out of my complete conviction of demonstrating that the religious barriers can never hamper the natural ways of human living. Like most of the other facades of colour, cast, race, ethnicity, language and cultures, religion also has been politicised and used to “other� people. In exploring this idea Talking Faith documents the experiences of ordinary young people, manifesting the environments that forces prejudices in their thinking, yet highlighting their brilliant natural potential for loving and living with each other in a pure human way.

While the film was screened at the Vasakh Film Festival (HRCP) in Lahore and Kara Film Festival in Karachi recently, where it was a special mention by the jury too, we as the filmmakers of Talking Faith never really expected it to be picked up by Geo TV to be aired, knowing the so called "religious sensibilities" that even the independent channels would be scared to offend. Yet to our surprise we were informed by all the collaborating organisations that Talking Faith will be aired on Aag TV, and for being one of the top three films will get screened at LIDF, 09 in London as well. The information was publicised in The News and was posted on BHC and LIDF websites, along with the facebook groups.

None of this happened. All the information publicised and shared by the organisers was inaccurate. Talking Faith was never aired on television, neither was it screened in London at the festival. It did not get to be seen by the television viewers in Pakistan, nor did it have the opportunity to spread its message to the audience in London, where the context of interreligious dialogue is a crucial one. The only official explanation given was that Talking Faith contains “sensitive content� not inline with the “censorship policies� of Geo TV. The film was slashed off the list by the very organisers who selected it for broadcasting in the first place.

While there is nothing that I would expect from all the known names such as the British High Commission, LIDF and the Geo TV in terms of being open about the influences on their censorship policies, I would like to say that the film is available on Google videos, it can be watch online, or a DVD can be obtained by visiting its website www.talkingfaith.org, and the message can be judged for itself that says, “a dialogue is possible� which seems ironic, due to the unjust censorship hampering the freedom of expression.