Pakistani Film, RAI – The Living Miracle Receives International Acclaim

Pakistani filmmakers seem to be on a roll these days. Not only are Pakistani bringing in excellent return to investment at the box office but are also being recognized at global platforms.

Take the case of first-time filmmaker Afshar Iqbal‘s film, Rai – The Living Miracle for instance.

Rai – The Living Miracle, a joint production of Islamabad based production house, Cams and Comms and a non-profit organization, Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA) has been officially selected and awarded in the “Honorable Mention” category by Canada Shorts – Canadian & International Short Film Festival.

This is huge given the fact that this was Afshar’s debut effort in the 70 mm domain.

What’s more incredible is that the film is based on a true story!

Rai – The Living Miracle is a message-driven documentary film that traces the awe-inspiring true story of a terror attack survivor, Advocate Rai Azhar Hussain (Tamgha-e-Shujaat) who rose from the ashes defeating terrorism, disability and death!

“I want to change the lens through which Pakistan is seen by the outside world,” Afshar Iqbal

Talking about his film, Afshar Iqbal, the director shared, “With Rai – The Living Miracle, I want to change the lens through which Pakistan is seen by the outside world. As a Pakistani filmmaker I want the world to acknowledge our struggle against terrorism and empathize with our citizens who continue to live and laugh despite the deep scars this age of terror has left on all of us.”

The film aims to draw attention at an international and national level towards the often neglected role played by the brave citizens of Pakistan in the war against terror. It also hopes to start a conversation about safeguarding the rights of people living with disabilities in general and those who have encountered physical disabilities and psychological trauma owing to terrorism in particular.

The docu-film, while generating awareness across the globe about the ills of extremism and the devastating effects that it has on families and on entire communities explores how survivors and their family members i.e. both adults and children suffer and how terror attacks can have a lasting effect on their lives.

It’s not easy sailing for independent filmmakers in Pakistan…

Speaking about the challenges that most independent filmmakers face in Pakistan, Afshar shared, “Although Rai – The Living Miracle has won laurels internationally, it is very hard for independent filmmakers who don’t have existing ties in the entertainment fraternity to showcase their films at a mass scale within Pakistan. We’re however, in talks with a few stakeholders to strike a distribution deal soon.”

We really hope that audiences in Pakistan get a chance to see this wonderful film soon! For now here’s the trailer!