Silent Waters

In Kamosh pani, Sabiha Sumar dauntlessly tackles the issue of the intolerance and far from enviable position of women in her mother country. It was not easy to make this film in Pakistan, but Sumar was determined. She wanted her film to breathe new life into Pakistani cinema, and especially independent cinema. Under the regime of President General Zia-ul-Haq (from 1977 to 1988), the country underwent a swing to Islam and even the flourishing commercial film industry was censored out of existence, let alone independent artistic productions. Kamosh pani is set in Charkhi, Pakistan, during this period of upheaval. Aïcha, a woman in her forties, augments her small widow’s pension by giving Koran lessons to village girls. She is also dedicated to looking after her 18-year-old son Salim. Salim is secretly in love with the beautiful Zoubida, who comes from a wealthy family. When a group of Sikh pilgrims arrives in Charkhi on a pilgrimage, Aïcha’s life takes a major turn. Against a background of increasing intolerance and fundamentalism, which also involves Salim, unbearable secrets about Aïcha’s past come to light. The film won first prize, the Golden Leopard, at the Locarno festival. Kirron Kher won the prize for best actress.