ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates the emergence of an activist documentary film category in contemporary Pakistan. It discusses various socio-political, historical, and cultural issues, developments, and problems that contemporary Pakistani documentarists have depicted for consciousness-raising, advocacy, and social change from within a Muslim state. The chapter also focuses on documentary film practices in Pakistan. It is significant to note that a discussion of independent Pakistani documentary filmmakers, rights organizations, and their collaborative productions also highlights their similarities most of these filmmakers have received Western education, belong to progressive urban segments of the Pakistani society. In 2001, Pakistan became host to a successful international film festival, the non-political and non-profit KaraFilm Festival. The expanding number of filmmaking institutes and academies, have the potential to play a significant role in inspiring new activist Pakistani documentary filmmakers who are familiar with their socio-cultural and political issues to create a cinema that aims to spread awareness, and extremism, and highlights crucial human rights issues.
