Khamosh Pani to be screened in Capital today
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—The acclaimed film, Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters), directed by Sabiha Sumar, will be shown in Pakistan in December at the Eighth Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).
The SDC, a well-established SDPI event since 1995, brings together researchers, policy-makers, academicians, artists, and opinion-makers in Islamabad to discuss sustainable development issues. The three-day Eighth SDC begins on December 7, 2005.
Khamosh Pani, based on actual events of the 1947 partition, will be shown during the session on History Through the Lens-Cinematic Depiction of People’s Rights.
Directed by Sabiha Sumar, an independent filmmaker, studied Filmmaking and Political Science at Sarah Lawrence College, New York, from 1980 to 1983. The film looks at the rise of fundamentalism in the background of the 1947 partition and how these events affected women, especially the sad plight of those abandoned during the partition.
Born in 1961 in Karachi, Sabiha Sumar has used her documentaries to critique society and sensitize people about women’s lives.
The film revolves around Ayesha (Kirron Kher), a seemingly well-adjusted middle-aged woman whose life centres on her son Saleem - a gentle, dreamy 18-year-old, in love with Zubeida. They live in the village of Charkhi, in Pakistani Punjab. Ayesha’s husband is dead and she manages a living from his pension and by giving Quran lessons to young girls.
The story begins in 1979, in a Pakistan under President General Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law. Saleem becomes intensely involved with a group of Islamic fundamentalists and leaves Zubeida. Ayesha is saddened to see her son change radically. Events escalate when Sikh pilgrims from India pour into the village. Later, a pilgrim looks for his sister, Veero, who was abducted in 1947. This awakens heart-rending memories.
Released in 2003, the film has been acclaimed widely for its well-crafted plot, brilliant performance, and intriguing treatment of the watershed events in sub-continent.