ISLAMABAD, Mar 09 (APP):German Ambassador to Pakistan Bernhard Schlagheck Monday said Pakistani women, in every walk of life, play a significant role in making Pakistan a vibrant society.
“Since I came here in September last year, I have met some incredible young Pakistani women. They are intellectuals, bee keepers, farmers, teachers and sewers who play a constructive role in shaping up the dynamic Pakistani society”, said Ambassador Schlagheck.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of 4th edition of Women International Film Festival (WIFF) that kicked off here at a local hotel with the support of German cooperation in Pakisatn, Austrian Embassy and Foundation of Arts, Culture and Education (FACE).
Ambassador Schlagheck said films were a great way to address the burning issues of gender gap, deprivations and injustice. “Women’s social and economic participation is crucial for every society and cultural artifacts like films are faster means to promote social empowerment and future aspirations”, he added.
He said the cinema was like a mirror of contemporary society that helps understand the indigenous stories of masses.
Appreciating the Pakistani creative cinema, German Ambassador said, “I am a film lover and I love Pakistan films. This festival is a great initiative for young women in Pakistan to encourage and facilitate them to showcase their creativity and skills of story telling”.
He said this festival offered a unique opportunity to focus on issues related to women. Their stories of success, failures, achievements and struggles.
This year’s festival was featuring more than half of the films created by Pakistani female film makers that tell indigenous stories. It was set to make its rounds at different university campuses across the twin cities, as well as travel to Peshawar for the first time while public screenings were scheduled at the FACE (Foundation of Arts, Culture, and Education) in Islamabad with an elaborate program of showcasing 14 films over two days.
Speaking on the occasion , Madeeha Raza, WIFF Founder and Director, said this year’s festival had curated more films made by Pakistani female filmmakers, based on local stories, unlike its previous iterations. “We’re so delighted with this year’s line-up of films featuring more Pakistani female filmmakers. While the goal has always been to empower women’s voices and visions from around the world, I am overjoyed that more than half of the films in our 2020 program tell indigenous stories about our own society”, she added.
Besides films from Pakistan, the festival will also feature a film each from Afghanistan, Austria, Bangladesh, Germany, and India.
The event was attended by the German Ambassador Bernhard Schlagheck, diplomats from French and Asutrain Emabssie along with film makers, actors, media students and journalists.
Over the years, WIFF has aimed to fill the gender gap in film, besides widening appreciation for independent cinema, by creating a platform for diverse storytellers from all over the world, including countries like Afghanistan, Bulgaria, France, Iran, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, and the USA.
