Samar Minallah ( ur,

ALA-LC ALA-LC (American Library AssociationLibrary of Congress) is a set of standards for romanization, the representation of text in other writing systems using the Latin script. Applications The system is used to represent bibliographic information by ...

: ) is a

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

maker, and

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

activist from

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Career

Samar Minallah was born in

Haripur District Haripur District ( ps, هریپور ولسوالۍ, ur, "The Town of Hari") is a district in Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The town of Haripur (meaning 'Hari's town') was founded in 1822 by Hari Singh Nalwa, the Com ...

, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in

. As a filmmaker she has created projects targeting social change in Pakistan, created for local audiences and are screened locally to generate dialogue around issues related to women and children. Her films especially capture culturally sanctioned forms of violence against women and girls.

Films

Samar's lens has led to the inner stories of

Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...

women and their lives. She is from the school of filmmakers who believe they are empowered to challenge norms and change mindsets through films.

''Dar-Pa-Dar Where the Heart lies''

Minallah's film ''Dar-Pa-Dar Where the Heart lies'' consists of conversations with Afghan refugee women living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan, who are faced with returning home and leaving the bodies of their loved ones behind.

''Bajaur Gooloona - Homeless at Home''

Minallah's film ''Bajaur Gooloona - Homeless at Home'' focuses on tribal women and children displaced from their homes due to conflict.

''Bibi Shireenay - Where Honor Comes From''

Minallah's film ''Bibi Shireenay - Where Honor Comes'' From is a folk song video about the economic and social contribution of Pakhtun women.

''Allah - A Lullaby for You My Daughter''

Her film ''Allah - A Lulluby for You My Daughter'' is a lullaby dedicated to Pakhtun girls filmed in Afghanistan and Pakistan regarding the importance of education for girls.

''Poles Apart--Chains do not keep marriages together''

Minallah's film ''Poles Apart'' was shot in Oslo, Jhelam, Gujrat, and Lalamusa. The documentary follows people community activists in these areas.

''Kuch Khaab Hain Mairey - I have a dream''

Her film ''I have a dream'', also known as ''Khuch Khaab Hain Meray'', is a 35 minutes long documentary on child domestic labor in Pakistan, narrated by a seven year old domestic servant from Mardan. The narrator highlights the dangerous nature of the tasks she does as a part of her employment. The film also follow the story of an eight year old domestic worker from Clifton, Karachi, discussing the physical abuse suffered by their employer. Other children interviewed discuss the importance of education to them.

''The Dark Side of Migration''

Minallah's film ''The Dark Side of Migration'' documents human trafficking in Pakistan

''Swara--A Bridge Over Troubled Waters''

Minallah's documentary ''Swara'' explores marriages where girls are given as compensation to an enemy family to end disputes, often murders, and has been labelled anthropological activism. The film was shot in

Darra Adam Khel Darra Adam Khel ( ps, درہ آدم خیل) is the main town of Kohat Subdivision (formerly known as "Frontier Region Kohat") in the Kohat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It has gained fame and notoriety for its bazaars packed with gun ...

Khyber Agency Khyber District ( ps, خېبر ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas; with the merger of FATA with Khyber Pak ...

Mardan Mardān (Pashto and ; Urdu ; Pashto: ) is a city in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Located in the Valley of Peshawar, Mardan is the second-largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (after Peshawar). It is a fast-growing ...

Swabi Swabi ( ps, صوابۍ; ur, ) is a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan,Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

the documentary.

Awards

Minallah received the Perdita Houston Human Rights Activist Award in 2014.

References

External links

Pakistan working for Women's empowerment Land of a Thousand Colors - Communities with Diverse Culture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minallah, Samara Pakistani documentary filmmakers Living people Hindkowan people People from Haripur District 1964 births