Documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Mahera Omar, was recently in the news for her documentary Perween Rahman: The Rebel Optimist that won the Best Documentary Award at the 7th Delhi International Film Festival 2018. However, the filmmaker couldn’t travel to India to receive the award due to visa restrains.
Mahera Omar, who is known for exploring social, urban and environmental issues in Pakistan through her documentary filmmaking, is once again in the news.
Her documentary film, titled Pakistan Chowk, had its world premiere at the recently concluded 12th Istanbul International Architecture and Urban Films Festival, 2018.
Omar, who previously won an award for Best Documentary (second prize) for Perween Rahman: The Rebel Optimist at the same festival, was present at the screening along with architects, urban planners, film experts, students of Istanbul University and Pakistanis working in Turkey.
Pakistan Chowk is the story of the rehabilitation of a public square situated in the heart of the historic Arambagh neighborhood in Karachi - the once vibrant community space in the city of lights had in recent years become a favourite jaunt of drug addicts and a dumping ground for trash.
The documentary is about an urban intervention by architect and heritage consultant Marvi Mazhar to bring the pre-partition era chowk back to its former charm.
According to Omar, when she heard about Marvi Mazhar taking on such an important urban intervention, she wanted to make a film about her efforts to engage the local community in taking back ownership of their beloved chowk (public square). She added, “We need such projects to make Karachi a more livable place again.”
