Beyond The Heights shows brave face of Pakistani women, says film-maker. Beyond The Heights shows brave face of Pakistani women, says film-maker By Zoya Anwer Published about 18 hours ago 2 Comments Email Print The first trailer of the recently released biographical documentary Beyond The Heights has been lauded by viewers, who are now eager watch the full production. Produced and written by Mirza Ali and directed by Jawad Sharif under Bi-Polar Productions and Karakoram Expeditions, Beyond The Heights is based on the mountainous adventures of mountaineer Samina Baig, who became the first and youngest Pakistani woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest. She is also the youngest Muslim woman to climb the Everest at the age of 21 years. In an email interview with Dawn, the films writer and producer Mirza Ali Baig, the brother of Samina, talks about the obstacles faced by him during the making of the documentary, his inspiration and expectations from the project and his views on mountain climbing. Inspired by Saminas perilous journey “The purpose of documenting all mountain expeditions with Samina was to show the brave face of Pakistani women, their high potential and energy, he says, adding that he wishes to encourage gender equality and women empowerment. I have used the metaphor of mountain climbing to motivate youth to climb their mountains [face the hurdles] with respect to their own work.” He also wishes for young people to develop an interest in outdoor sports. Challenges of shooting in the chill With the shooting set in mountainous areas of the brutally cold Himalayas, Mirza Ali says he faced many challenges. “The most difficult times I faced were during the climb of Everest with Samina. It was extremely cold and I had to make sure that the camera was working; the battery was warm enough, all the while focusing on each step because one mistake can cost you your life. Carrying the heavy equipment at a height of 8,000m and shooting the climb during most risky areas of Mount Everest is itself very difficult, he says. Some portions were shot in his village in Hunza Valley. “80% of the real shooting was done during our expedition on Mt. Everest. Some shots were done in our village with Jawad and the rest were taken from the previous expedition to Spantik Peak expedition. However, the most challenging part was to raise funds for the Mount Everest adventure. It took me seven years to raise funds to embark on the highest peak on its 60th anniversary. Jawad initially didn’t believe that I would make the film during the climb of Everest but I had promised him. Thanks to Allah I was able to make on it during its 60th anniversary.” He says people are unaware about the geography of Pakistan and most wrongly associate Giglgit-Baltistan with other parts of the Northern areas. Gilgit-Baltistan and especially Hunza have a 98% literacy rate. We don’t have gender discrimination as seen in other parts of the country and boys and girls, both pursue their studies and professions without any difference.”
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 09:17:55 +0000
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