KARACHI: The art of storytelling has the power to influence perceptions, change mindsets and act as a catalyst to social change. But the narratives in documentary films remain neglected, getting little to no exposure in the mainstream media.

With the aim of giving much-needed acknowledgement to documentaries, the `I am Karachi Film Festival` (IAKFF) has dedicated three events solely to screen films based on Karachi. Four films were shown to a half empty hall at the Arts Council on Sunday, namely KarachiRising by Arif Hasan, Mother Calling: Kali in Karachi by Jurgen Schaflechner, Masters of The Sky by Seraj us Salikin and Dead End that Lives by Kumail Rizvi.

`The festival is a platform for aspiring filmmakers who are unable to showcase their work internationally or even locally,` said programme coordinator Taimur Ahmed Suri.

With a total of 65 submissions, 41 have been shortlisted by a seven-member team, headed by Jamil Dehlavi.

The festival began with Arif Hasan`s KarachíRising that focused on the densification in Karachi. The documentary addressedarange ofissuespertainingto the residents; high cost of land, informal development, congestion and politicisation of property on the basis of ethnicity and religion. The film ended with a recommendation to have a circular railways in place connected to main intersections that can help in Karachi becoming a multi-class city.

A dif ferent aspect was brought to light in Schaflechner`s Mother Calling: Kali inKarachi that highlighted the beliefs and customs of a minority community living in the heart of the city. The documentary delved into the lives of the dwellers of Vagris, a Gujarati Hindu community living in Lyari, who are devotees of Hindu goddess Kali.

Although it was not a high budget film with a focus on aesthetics, it still succeeded in riveting the audience with its powerful narrative taking one through a turbulence of mixed emotions from fear to awe. The documentary showed the dark side of living in Karachi for a minority community, many of whom expressed their preference to live in India.

Centring on pigeon-fighting, Masters of The Sky by Seraj us Salikin was a short but pleasant take on the art which is revered by both young and old alike. The documentary was based on the `masters` of pigeon fighting in Jamshed Road who are known for their skilled training of pigeon army and transfer of this skill set to their `students`.

A dif ferent concept was shown through a montage sequence of Dead End that Lives by Kumail Rizvi. A series of contrasting shots were put together with a strong script, underlying both the negative and positives in Karachi. With compelling cinematography and fast-paced shots the film threw an avalanche of messages at the audience, keeping them from blinking even for a second.

`The younger generation feels that Karachi is a dead end, but this documentary shows otherwise,` said the programme coordinator.

The screening was followed by a brief panel discussion comprising veteran actor Haseena Moin and documentary film-maker Shabbir Siraj.

While Siraj strongly believed in pro-moting the work of students without being too disparaging, Ms Moin thought that the films only portrayed the negative aspects of Karachi. `The genre of documentary in Pakistan always highlights negativity and it is not that ugly is real,` she said.

However, Siraj argued that the work of students should not be seen from thatpoint of view. `A film-maker has various angles and given the work belongs to students we need to understand that their perspective cannot be restricted,` he said.

Commenting about Dead End that Lives, Ms Moin said the film-maker failed to add shots of the Arabian Sea, which is integral to Karachi, and stressed that the film could have been more positive. `It`snot necessary to depict Karachiites as broken and despaired, show them smiling for once,` she remarked.

Siraj reiterated that standardisation in such events was not possible and instead of searching for plot-holes, students` work should be appreciated.

`I am Karachi Film Festival` will be held again on June 5 and 7.