Pakistani movie fans in NY loved the film but not so much the haphazard screening, which is a norm for most Pakistani films shown here.
There was a lot of anticipation around Cake’s NYC screening – all Pakistani events conducted in the US and more so in NYC are met with the same excitement and fervor for us expats who’re always looking for ways to connect with the homeland.
This is not a movie review because many movie reviews have been published already. There is no doubt that Cake is a fantastic movie from all perspectives: flawless script, beautiful direction, realistic and relatable screen play and it is the super acting that is the icing on the proverbial cake. The movie tugs at the heart and hits at least one chord, if not many.
The issue at hand right now is one that I (an expat in the US/NJ/NYC) have faced with Pakistani events in general: there’s no easy way of finding out about them! When we heard of Cake’s US premiere, a friend in NYC reached out to me to see if I knew anything about it. It actually took me a number of text messages to friends and fellow fraternity members in Pakistan until confirmation was received that a movie screening for Cake was indeed scheduled in NYC for the very next day! Ultimately I was able to get through to the director, Asim Abbasi, who confirmed the venue and time for the screening. My husband accompanied me after work and we both went, looking forward to talking to Aamina Shaikh and Sanam Saeed about their experience in promoting their movie beyond Pakistan.
That night turned out to be a big disappointment. An hour into the invitation time, the movie still had not started. The actors initially were going to come for a Q&A session before the movie. However it was informed to us that they would now come after the movie. While we were there, local friends starting making plans to see the movie over the weekend. My husband and I decided to forego the premiere in lieu of the delay and decided to watch it with friends over the weekend. I did love the fact that the movie screening was a true movie screening with a group comprising of 30 some promoters and press people but the delay was very undesirable.
Life in the US is very different from life in Pakistan. Promoting a movie on a global platform also means following global standards of protocol. Long commutes, baby-sitting issues, early morning meeting schedules for the next day, etc. are important factors to consider for the audience in the US in order to plan a relaxed night out. Adherence to a pre-planned schedule is essential. The premiere for the Pakistani movie Yalghar comes to mind. Its premiere was on Eid of last year at Times Square in NYC, which actually is a huge thing! Again a lot of scrambling went on to find out and inform people of the premiere in order to get a nice sized group to attend. That movie started an hour late as well because the cast didn’t show up on time! As soon as the movie started, slowly but surely all cast members made a quiet exit. Movie watchers were shocked at the level of unprofessionalism.
I hope movie makers in Pakistan will take this as positive, constructive feedback because now that we (Pakistan) are making movies that are of international standards, we need to rise above and beyond in displaying a professional work ethic as well.
– Eemaan Samdani is a US based Digital and e-commerce senior consultant for a fortune 500 company in NYC and loves to read, write, coo, and travel with her husband and three wonderful kids. Eemaan can be contacted on: eemaanasiddiqi@gmail.com
Here’s what some Pakistani spectators in New York had to say about Cake
“Cake is a movie that so many of us can relate to. As a Pakistani who has lived in the US for decades, the themes of dealing with a parents’ illness and death, of sibling tensions and of the complexities of family ties were so real and relatable. It’s a movie about the challenge of distances, where families are separated both geographically and in terms of their differing perspectives. I enjoyed the movie because it made me laugh and cry at the same time. It wasn’t your typical Bollywood type blockbuster. It’s the type of movie that left you thinking about the themes and the depths of the characters.” Shamila Malik, Social Worker, Princeton, NJ.
“The Pakistani movie Cake has shown a lot of realistic issues that people face in Pakistan and are relatable globally by all of us as well. I was impressed by the superb acting and the fact that it was very well directed and comparable to any good international movie. The story touched topics that people from all walks of life and age groups could relate to from many different angles. It was about unconditional love, sacrifice, courage, and core values that define us. I have highly recommended this movie to all my non Pakistani friends and co-workers.” Saira Jan, Rutgers Director of Pharmacy Strategy, NJ.
