Asia Journalists Association is the Grandfather of Sindhi movie “A Train Crosses the Desert” Film, directed and produced by Rahul Aijaz – says Ashraf Aboul-Yazid
The Egyptian TV ‘Nile Culture TV Channel’, aired on Monday August 9, 2021 its special program on 17th session of International Muslim Film Festival being held in Tatarstan capital Kazan in the first week of September. The main focus of the program was Pakistan’s short movie in Sindhi language produced and directed by Rahul Aijaz, selected to be screened at the festival. Poet and critic Mr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, who is also a jury member of the new edition of Kazan International Muslim Film Festival, was the guest speaker of Arab Cinema Frames TV program episode edited by Eman Mostafa, presented by Heba Fahmy and produced by Fatema Al Zahraa Hassan.
At the outset, host of the program introduced the guest speaker and apprised the viewers of background of the Sindhi short film. “The theme of the Pakistani film ‘A Train Crosses the Desert’ was waved by two poems of a book ‘The Memory of Silence’ written by Ashraf Aboul-Yazid,” she told.
The presenter asked Mr. Ashraf to tell how was the surprise to know that some of “The Memory of Silence”’ poems were greatly inspiring in its Sindhi translation for a Pakistani film?”
Ashraf replied: “It was a happy surprise when I was suddenly told. But it came in steps. The director Rahul Aijaz contacted me to inform that he read a poem in the book his father translated for me into Sindhi language, and expressed his wish to use for the film. He also asked for selecting another poem. In the film, you will find he will start with a poem, and finish with the other, which carries the film’s title; A Train Crosses the Desert. The whole process happened as we all – I, the father and the son, met in Korea as members of Asia Journalist Association (AJA). I knew that Rahul had a cinematic sense. He switched over from writing to cinema, photography, to become a cinema director. Goethe Institute in Karachi, Pakistan gave him the chance to make his own film A Train Crosses the Desert.”
On being asked about Rahul Aijaz ‘special case; how was the communication between the poet and the director of the film – Ashraf said: “Thanks to the father, Mr. Nasir Aijaz, who became the link, and you may say that it has become a sort of friendship between the two peoples, or two nations. They describe Sindh (South of Pakistan) as the Young Egypt, since its occupation by the British. Even when Nasir’s second son, a doctor named Rohel (which means a traveler), thought to travel to a country within an international medical institution, he chose Egypt, and came to work for several months in a hospital in Tanta city, and I met him when he visited Cairo. You could say that the AJA family is the grandfather of this movie (A Train Crosses the Desert)”
Watch the Video: Nile TV Program on Kazan Film Festival
“We can say, AJA is the Grandfather of “A Train Crosses the Desert” Film, as we three met in Korea during the AJA events,” he remarked.
Presenter on showing a clip of a film directed by Rahul of his father” The Imperfect Human” which was a sort of reinterpretation of Danish filmmaker Jørgen Leth’s The Perfect Human. We could see – with the book “the Memory of Silence” on the work desk that this was shot during making the translation of the poems into Sindhi.
The rest of the program explained the film, the background of Pakistani cinema, poetry and literature. The new generation in Pakistani cinema encouraged by Goethe Institute for talented youth programs, the sections of the film as “A Train Crosses the Desert” will compete in short narrative film category.
More details were given on the past, present and future Tatar cinema, and how positive was the role of Kazan International Muslim Film Festival to promote, encourage and enhance cinema industry in Tatarstan, the progress of the festival, since its birth in 2005, with Golden Minbar name, and the last edition 2020, where some of its events were online.
Ashraf Aboul-Yazid talked about the special 100 year anniversary of the republic that was celebrated by Kazan International Muslim Film Festival in its 16th edition.
The program also discussed how the festival is achieving its motto “Towards a culture of dialogue through the dialogue of cultures”
Pictures of the jury members of the 17th session of the festival – and the festival poster were displayed. A talk on the Arab participation with two films was also discussed, by explaining their themes and the characteristics of their directors, Abanob Toussof and Bogharaf. Clips of “Grandson of the Morud Family” and “The Recovery King “also displayed; as the two films which will compete in short documentary film section. There was a talk on the Arab cinema in the past years which was greater than this year. The guest gave hints of both films and their directors.
Pictures of the Arab participation in the Kazan Festival were also shown – with Ilham Shahin and Mufti Ainuddin.
A special note was given on the head of Kazan International Muslim Film Festival’s chairman of the jury; Elchin Musaoglu, an Azerbaijani film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, Ashraf said that we could say he is a poet of cinema, who lets picture and music speak than words. He also mentioned that his stories are based on real life around.
Ashraf said: “Kazan International Muslim Film Festival has a steady system to apply, and conditions, values to respect, those who wish to participate should gather and nominate the best to be shown and competing in Kazan International Muslim Film Festival.”
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Sindh Courier
