In Flames
The South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (MSFF) is dedicated to exploring and introducing Montreal audiences to the work of filmmakers of South Asian origin. This 13th edition is an opportunity to discover many recent works, both documentary and fiction, that focus on the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora.
Free admission
When Mariam’s maternal grandfather passes, his brother tries to manipulate the family into signing over their apartment to him, a common occurrence in Pakistan, where women’s property rights are fragile. Mariam’s mother, grieving and isolated, is easy to influence. Mariam, distraught by her mother’s foolishness, finds solace in a secret romance with a fellow student, Asad. When their relationship takes an unexpected turn, Mariam becomes consumed by nightmares.
Zarrar Kahn
Zarrar Kahn, sometimes credited as Hamza Bangash, is a Pakistani-Canadian film director and screenwriter, whose debut feature film In Flames premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, he spent part of his childhood there before emigrating with his family to Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He has continued to live and work in both countries, with most of his films being Pakistani-Canadian co-productions. He directed a number of short films in the late 2010s and early 2020s, earning a reputation as one of the most exciting new Pakistani filmmakers, before making In Flames. His films typically center on characters who are struggling against their status as outsiders in Pakistan's conservative religious society, such as women, people with physical or intellectual disabilities, LGBT people or members of religious minority groups.
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