Rafina

This is not a vain, sumptious, glorious, bollywood affair but mature and topical film making. It is no simple fairy tale but a finely drawn tale of people in a polarised society. The leads are well known and top class. Some of the supporting cast (the fashonistas) are peripheral to the story and the producers can be forgiven for casting weaker actors. The dialogue is good and the characters are finely drawn, credible and engaging. The music and sound are excellent. The narrative pacing and density are brisk and build up nicely.

A lovely film that shows the subcontinent has a world class cinema that they can export anywhere.

RECOMMENDED.

Amna Ilyas is the young "Rafina" who has dreams of becoming a model in her home city, but who faces quite a few challenges from her sceptical family and her fiancé who thinks she ought to be grateful for the chance to get married, have babies and live at home. An attempt to revitalise this rather well-trammelled concept has been made by setting it against the considerable political upheaval that was being caused by the imminent arrival from exile of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto but that doesn't really lift this lacklustre story enough. That said, it's actually quite a well made drama, and the actors do enough to keep it going for eighty minutes but the substance and characters are poorly developed and it takes a very simplistic look at the cultural attitudes of both the sexes and the generations. Sure, everybody should dream - but not everyone can be a model or a brain surgeon or an astronaut, and the film does rather present us with an all too linear appreciation of not just her own aspirations but also one of those who advise against this risky and potentially short-term career path - embarked upon, supposedly, in the name of empowerment or liberation. Director Sabiha Kumar is trying to make a point but she doesn't really make any attempt to calibrate the drama in any sort of balanced fashion - epitomised by the loving but strained relationship between "Rafina" and her mother (Saba Hameed). It looks good, though, capturing the hustle and bustle of this vibrant city well, but it's just a bit too undercooked.

The photography is very good, the story less so. Characters are not very developed. Rafina is portrayed as an innocent girl, but is actually quite vain. Also, the fashion industry is presented in a very naive manner as an empowering world. Although that it not the focus of the movie, heels and make-up are expensive, damaging, and rather oppressive too. The total rejection of social conservatism annoys me. Rafina will probably be happier being a model, but I'm not sure her example is scalable to the whole Pakistani society. Ultimately, the film sends a very individualistic message, and typically favors an oppression over another.

Rafina (Amna Ilyas) is a headstrong young woman who wants to do something with her life. She has a playful relationship with her fiance, Akram. Rafina's mother in law to be Rosie Khala, a beautician understands Rafina's frustrations and agrees to take her on as an assistant.

Rafina may be a simple girl from the ghetto but she is tall and thin, she attracts the eye of some marketing industry experts who want a girl with wholesome looks.

Good Morning Karachi is a radio station which gives ongoing news as the the film is set at the time of the elections in 2007 where Benazir Bhutto made her return to politics and was subsequently assassinated.

The film is more than just Rafina wanting to make it big as a model although she soon realises that she will enter a world of vain, shallow rich people.

The film is an unusual exploration of the role of young women in Pakistani society and also the frustrations that young men feel. Akram is happy with Rafina but then does not want her to work when they get married even though his mum has toiled for years working as a local beautician.

In fact we are not really sure what Akram does but he turn out to be a political agitator who feels that the young have been betrayed with economic hopelessness. The irony is Akram is a Bhutto supporter, happy to help a woman to come into power but not happy for his wife to be have a career.

The film is a study of ambition in a society where women are expected to know their limits whether it is because of conservative traditions or religion. It is a conflict Rafina faces but she also has an opportunity to make a better life for herself and her fatherless family.

The script is not perfect, a lot of characters are not fully developed, the nuances of a lot of the arguments are not even explored, it is even clumsy at times. The film might even needed to discuss if the election of Bhutto would had many a difference

Pakistan has been let down by its political elites who have been too busy lining their own pockets. Bhutto's own husband was widely mocked as Mr 10% when she was first in power.

Still this is an interesting exploration of life in modern Pakistan.

Viewed at the Innsbruck Film Festival, June 2014 ~ The first film of the second festival day, "Good Morning Pakistan", opened an entire new page on the poorly understood and highly maligned nuclear bastion of Islam, Pakistan, and introduces a fantastic new feminine screen presence, 23 year old Model turned actress AMNA ILYAS. We will no doubt be seeing more of her soon! -- Only 77 minute In length but so full of striking events and personalities that it seems twice as long. Director Sabiha Sumar applies Occam's Razor with unerring sharpness to a story that could easily have run three hours~~this is a film which must be seen far more widely! A dazzling discovery from a nation whose films are hardy ever seen outside of their home territory. Sumar Who learned her craft at elite American schools is a one woman wrecking crew trying to reestablish a film industry in her home country that was all but destroyed by the fanatic Islamic regime currently in power. In this startling picture the emerging fashion industry in Pakistan is set against the return to Pakistan and assassination of glamorous former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2009 as an English language radio station keeps the public informed with daily morning broadcasts of ongoing events. While basically fiction "good Morning Karachi" has the effect of a documentary revealing what is going on in one of the world's most dangerous countries. Among many other things, needless to say, a Powerful statement in favor of women's liberation in a country where "honor killings" are taken for granted and go unpunished. GMK is a not so distant cousin of the Barry Lewinson 1987 Robin Williams starrer "Good Morning Vietnam" -- equally critical of a corrupt regime but better! With this film alone my trip to the Alpine Paradise of Innsbruck was justified.