Shehr e Tabassum
Shehr e Tabassum | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Directed by | Arafat Mazhar |
Production company | Puffball Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 9 min |
Country | Pakistan |
Language | Urdu |
Shehr e Tabassum (
The first trailer for Shehr e Tabassum was released in February 2019, and the final version was uploaded to YouTube on February 29, 2020. The film's creators have noted that other works—including science fiction films like Blade Runner and Akira, and such novels as George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four—were the primary inspirations for the setting in the film.[1]
Development and production
The original concept for the film was obtained by the director, Arafat Mazhar, from a psychologist, Ayesha Iftikhar, who acted as co-founder with Mazhar for Shehri Pakistan, an organization whose focus has been on improving literacy and education among the children of Pakistan. Mazhar took this initiating concept for the film and spent several years forming the setting and city that would be presented in this version of Pakistan, naming the city and film Shehr e Tabassum. This included creating the design for the security robots and the civilian outfits, along with the general color palette for different scenes, which were all given to the creative director, Isma Gul Hassan.
The film was first publicly showcased on February 2, 2020, at the Lahore Music Meet, but director Mazhar explained to the audience that he was not going to submit the film to any international film festivals, as they have a non-release clause that would prevent widespread dissemination of the film for free.[5] Other pre-release screenings were done the same week in the United Kingdom.[6] Following the screenings, the film was released online later that month.[7]
Setting and plot
The film is set in the city of Shehr e Tabassum, Pakistan in the year 2071 with an extreme surveillance state in place that observes and monitors the facial expressions of all citizens. A prior law had been passed in the country in order to prevent the social strife and conflict that came about from a civil war several decades earlier and the law required that all citizens smile at all times, which is measured by a head worn device.
Critical reception
In an article for
References
- ^ Arif, Fatima (5 March 2020). "In Conversation with Arafat Mazhar - the Man behind Shehr-e-Tabassum". Mashable. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ Som, Rituparna (10 July 2019). "Isma Hasan on her latest work, an animated Urdu cyberpunk film set in a dystopian Pakistan". Elle. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ Masood, Tooba (14 February 2019). "Welcome to Shehr e Tabassum — the first of its kind animated Urdu short-film set in a dystopian future". Dawn. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ Siddiqui, Sophia (5 February 2020). "Pakistan's first cyberpunk short film is to release this month". Glory Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ a b Bokhari, Haiya (2 February 2020). "In Focus: Shehr-e-Tabassum". The News International. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Pakistan's first animated feature film to release online". MMNews. 5 February 2020. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ Masood, Tooba (5 February 2020). "Pakistan's first cyberpunk short film is out this month". Samaa TV. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ Sharma, Manik (15 December 2020). "With films like Swipe, Shehr e Tabassum, Pakistan's Puffball Studio depicts dystopias that feel all too real". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ Munim, Yasal (15 February 2020). "Shehr-e-Tabassum gives Pakistan's bleak future a neon makeover". Samaa TV. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- Newlines Magazine. Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ Habib, Yusra (19 February 2020). "It's illegal for Pakistanis to stop smiling in dystopian short film, Shehr-e-Tabassum". Dawn. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ Khan, Turyal Azam (12 March 2020). "New film shows potential for Pakistani animation". Asia Times. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
External links
- Shehr e Tabassum at IMDb
- Official Video on YouTube