Media Coverage October 7, 2005
 ‘Khamosh Pani’ Still Waters: Violent but Bloodless Film about Partition
Daily Times, Islamabad
October 07, 2005
The film, Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters), directed by Sabiha Sumar, will be shown in Pakistan in December at the Eighth Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).
The SDC, an SDPI event since 1995, brings together, researchers, policy-makers, academics, artists, and opinion-makers, in Islamabad to discuss sustainable development issues. The three-day conference will begin on December 7. Khamosh Pani is based on the actual events of the 1947 partition and will be shown during the session on ‘History through the lens’, the theme being the ‘Cinematic depiction of people’s rights’. The film looks at the rise of fundamentalism in the background of the 1947 partition and how these events affected women, especially the sad plight of those abandoned during partition.
The film revolves around Ayesha, a seemingly well-adjusted middle-aged woman whose life centres around her son Saleem – a gentle, dreamy 18-year-old, who is in love with Zubeida. They live in the village of Charkhi in Pakistani Punjab. Ayesha is a widow who lives off her husband’s pension and by giving Quran lessons to young girls.
The story begins in 1979, in a Pakistan under President General Ziaul Haq’s martial law. Saleem becomes intensely involved with a group of Islamic fundamentalists and leaves Zubeida. Ayesha is saddened to see her son change radically. Events escalate when Sikh pilgrims from India pour into the village. Later, a pilgrim looks for his sister, Veero, who was abducted in 1947. This awakens heart-rending memories.
Released in 2003, the film has been acclaimed widely for its intriguing plot, striking performances, and brilliant treatment of the events surrounding the partition of the sub-continent.
Khamosh Pani to be Screened in December
The Nation, Islamabad
October 07, 2005
The acclaimed film, Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters), directed by Sabiha Sumar, will be shown in Pakistan in December at the Eighth Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).
The SDC, a well-established SDPI event since 1995, brings together researchers, policy-makers, academicians, artists, and opinion-makers in Islamabad to discuss sustainable development issues. The three-day SDC begins on December 7.
Khamosh Pani, based on actual events of the 1947 partition, will be shown during the session on “History Through the Lens-Cinematic Depiction of People’s Rights.” Sabiha Sumar, an independent filmmaker, studied filmmaking and Political Science at Sarah Lawrence College, New York, from 1980 to 1983. The film looks at the rise of fundamentalism in the background of the 1947 partition and how these events affected women, especially the sad plight of those abandoned during the partition. Born in 1961 in Karachi, Sabiha Sumar has used her documentaries to critique society and sensitise people about women’s lives.
The film revolves around Ayesha (Kirron Kher), a seemingly well-adjusted middle-aged woman whose life centres on her son, Saleem, a gentle, dreamy 18-year-old, in love with Zubeida. They live in the village of Charkhi, in Pakistani Punjab. Ayesha’s husband is dead and she manages a living from his pension and by giving Quran lessons to young girls. The story begins in 1979, in a Pakistan under President General Ziaul Haq’s martial law.
SDPI Conference on Dec 7
Pakistan Observer, Islamabad
December 01, 2005
by Zubair Qureshi
Executive Director Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Dr. Saba Gul Khattak Wednesday addressed a curtain raiser press conference to announce its 8th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC). The conference is commencing on December 7 and ending on December 9 at Best Western hotel, Islamabad.
Dr. Saba briefed the media representatives about the forthcoming international Conference and gave an overview of the preceding seven conferences in the series. The 8th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) will host a number of reputed national and international scholars, academicians, researchers and activists, both from the civil society and the government.
The speakers will cover six major themes: women and gender issues, livelihoods, WTO and governance, health, peace and people’s rights, and child labour. An anthology of last year’s Seventh Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) titled ‘Sustainable Development and Governance in the Age of Extremes’, containing 42 research papers jointly published by the SDPI and Sama Editorial and Publishing Services, will also be launched and presented at the forthcoming Conference.
In view of the recent earthquake tragedy, panels on Earthquake, Injuries/Disabilities and Rehabilitation and Disaster Management are also being organized at the conference. The Disaster Management panel will look into the earthquake disaster in Pakistan from governance, geological, livelihood and environmental perspectives. A number of speakers and delegates from governmental and non-governmental organizations are expected to speak on the topic.
The success of the previous conferences lies in the impact they have had at various levels—from civil society and private sector to public sector and policy-makers, said Dr Saba. Policy dialogues, she said, proved fruitful where speakers from Pakistan were able to share their valuable ideas and information with counterparts from South Asia and other regions of the world. As such it attracts leading intellectuals and policy-makers to come together.
The 8th SDC, she said, would examine the multiple facets of sustainable development in the contexts of South Asia. “The speakers will discuss how problems and issues in South Asia can be dealt effectively at various levels based on prior experience of successful policy interventions. The Conference seeks to bring together from South Asia and other regions of the world theorists, researchers, activists, policy makers, and academicians to debate the issues of sustainable development in the contexts of South Asia,” explained Dr. Khattak.
Some of the noted national and international scholars that are expected to participate in the SDC include Dr. Tariq Rehman, Dr. Syed Jaffar Ahmed, Dr. William van Schendel, Dr. Mubarak Ali, Dr. Rita Pandey, Andrey K. Demin, Mita Dutta, Ansar Ahmed Ullah, Radhika Chopra, Kim Weidenberg, Dr. Khawar Mumtaz, and Dr. Shreekant Gupta.
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