
In the wake of her beloved grandfather’s death, Mariam (Ramesha Nawal) and her mother, Fariha (Bakhtawar Mazhar), can barely begin mourning before the human vultures swoop in, intent on wresting their family home from them. In turn, when Mariam’s secret romance with a fellow medical student (Omar Javaid) meets an untimely end, she’s plagued by malevolent forces that pursue her through the streets of Karachi, Pakistan. With every kindness coming with a garrote wire attached, Mariam and Fariha must rely on one another to survive.
Returning to his birthplace, writer-director Zarrar Kahn immerses us in an oppressive patriarchal society where misogyny runs rampant, leaving Mariam and Fariha under constant threat. But, in pitting them against these seemingly indomitable forces, he reveals their deep wells of resolve. As Kahn masterfully ratchets up the tension, we witness an initial struggle for agency become a captivating bid for empowerment.
From Pakistan, a Vivid Psychological Thriller That Tackles Grief, Ghosts and the Patriarchy
Hollywood Reporter
September 29 & October 1: Q&A with director Zarrar Kahn & crew
Presented by
Series Media Partner
Ramesha Nawal, Omar Javaid, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Adnan Shah Tipu, Mohammad Ali Hashmi
Canada/Pakistan
2022
Northern Lights
In Urdu with English subtitles
Sexual Discrimination
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Executive Producer
Shant Joshi, Todd Brown, Maxime Cottray
Producer
Anam Abbas, Hamza Bangash, Associate produced by Carol Ann Noronha
Screenwriter
Zarrar Kahn, Mohammad Ali Hashmi
Cinematography
Aigul Nurbulatova
Editor
Craig Scorgie, Zarrar Kahn
Production Design
Matti Malik
Original Music
Kalaisan Kalaichelvan
Director

Zarrar Kahn
Zarrar Kahn is an award-winning Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker whose film In Flames is the first South Asian Horror to premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Director’s Fortnight. He is an alumnus of the TIFF Talent Lab, Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Open Doors Locarno, Asian Film Academy and Director’s Lab program at the Canadian Film Centre. His works have been screened and awarded in over 70+ film festivals worldwide, including TIFF, Locarno, and BFI London. Born in Karachi, and currently based out of Toronto, Kahn is committed to telling stories that amplify historically marginalized communities.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
A young couple accept an invitation for a nightcap with history professor George (Richard Burton) and his wife Martha (Elizabeth Taylor). At first it's fun and games. But what passes for caustic wit soon degenerates into vicious mind games.
Drop Dead City
New York, 1975. The city is minutes away from bankruptcy and President Gerald Ford wants no part of it. Sanitation workers are on strike and cops are telling tourists it's not safe to visit. The town is going up in flames and they can't pay the firemen.
In the Mood for Love
Wong Kar-wai's most acclaimed and popular film is a love story about two neighbours (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung) who are drawn together by the long absences of their respective spouses + a newly released short companion piece from 2001.
Georgia O'Keeffe: the Brightness of Light
Drawing on her copious correspondence and the world's leading scholars, this is a definitive documentary on the life and work of "the mother of American Modernism."