New York NPR Show Covers Lollywood...and Human Rights in Pakistan

Excuse me while I pick myself off the floor. Leonard Lopate has a segment today that covers human rights and the Pakistani film industry:

Focusing on Change

Independent filmmaker Sabiha Sumar and Mallika Dutt from Breakthrough discuss women’s rights and filmmaking in Pakistan. Ms. Sumar's film "Silent Waters" looks at fundamentalism and Islamic nationalism in Pakistan in 1979, and is screening at the 3rd Annual South Asian Human Rights Film Festival.

» View pictures from the film
» More on the 3rd Annual South Asian Human Rights Film Festival
» More on Sabiha Sumar

You can listen to the segment directly. The web page for that program is at: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/04072005#segment45845

Comments:

• Sabiha S does stay real about Musharraf; in terms of his government's reaction to the movie.
• She gives a good round-up of the peace process between the countries.
• It is a rather good representation, nuanced and descriptive; frankly better than I expected.
• There is a very awkward moment about 14 minutes in when Leonard mentions the recent incident of stoning women running a marathon outside Islamabad and the two guests don't have a clue. Though Mallika Dutt's feedback after he read the news report to her was very interesting.
• Sabiha S's next project is a documentary about Gen. Musharraf and his vision of a moderate nation...hmmm.

Over-all, refreshingly real in its depiction of not just Pakistan, but South Asia and modern Muslims, too.