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Film on Pakistani-Norwegian family 'What People Will Say' wins applause at TIFF

Film on Pakistani-Norwegian family 'What People Will Say' wins applause at TIFF

The film follows the teenaged Nisha as she struggles to accommodate both Norwegian and Pakistani cultures in her life
Updated 11 Sep, 2017

Pakistani-Norwegian director Iram Haq's film What People Will Say premiered at Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) to a positive response from the audience.

The film, which takes some of its inspiration from the director's life, is based on the life of Pakistani-origin teenager Nisha (Maria Mozhdah) living in Norway struggling to lead a dual life - one which follows her parents wishes of living the 'Pakistani' life, while also keeping up with the Norwegian culture.

Nisha's fight for her freedom and her Pakistani parents' effort to steer her towards their culture causes a conflict between the two and results in Nisha being sent to Pakistan to live with her extended family members.

The film shows the generation gap between the parents and daughter - especially the torment children of immigrant parents go through.

Haq explained that the film partly takes inspiration from her life: "It's (what happened to Nisha) happened to me when I was a teenager... It is still happening (to young girls) in Norway and elsewhere."

However, she says her film is not "a negative portrayal of Pakistan. I am talking about the subject."

The film left quite a mark on the viewers at the festival.

Comments

Umer Qasim Sep 11, 2017 03:03pm
Looks Amazing. I want to see this.
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Harmony-1© Sep 11, 2017 03:37pm
Such useful reality movies are a good trend for our film Industry.
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Thoroughthinker Sep 11, 2017 04:38pm
Generation gap between the parents and daughters is not something unique to migrant Pakistanis. Most of the Pakistanis now experience everyday, their children's rapid drift to cyberism that makes a divide much bigger than any generation divide, right under their noses in their houses.
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