A two-day film festival commenced at the Alliance française, Karachi. it is called ‘A French Filmmaker’s Perspective’. The launching ceremony started with a panel discussion between participating filmmakers Çağla Zencirci, Guillaume Giovanetti, Michel Spinosa and actor Noor, who features in one of the films. ‘A French Filmmaker’s Perspective as the name suggests, focuses on showing their perspective on Pakistan and South Asia.
The first movie to be screened was Noor, which is based on the life of an actual transgender Hijra, Noor, who desperately wants to grow a beard. Noor is tired of dancing at weddings and also gotten over a love affair with another transgender; an event that drastically changed his life. The story of the film starts with Noor working at the Truck Decoration Centre dressed up like a man and is looking for a girl who will bring happiness to his life.
Çağla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti found Noor through an acquaintance and were inspired to make a movie on his life while they were already working on another film in Pakistan. Noor was released in theatres in France in April 2014 and received great response from critics and audiences alike. It was also featured in the 65th Cannes film festival and numerous other festivals around the world ever since its inception in 2010.
The director duo of Zencirci and Giovanetti met in Ankara, Turkey where they decided to make films. They started directing in 2004 with a small crew and haven’t stopped ever since.Noor is their eigth project but first feature film together.
“Part social-realism, part magical-realism and probably silly and absurd to some Pakistani viewers, Noor is ultimately a pleasantly watchable fairy tale, helped in no small measure by the effortless charm and considerable screen presence of the real-life Noor himself , a transgendered snooker player from Lahore, acting for the first time,” said Saqib Malik, a renowned Pakistani director who came to show his support at the event along with other celebrities such as actor Talat Hussain, director Jami and photographer Tapu Javeri.
