Culture

Multiple identities

by rumana husain | November 10, 2009 at 09:27 pm

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The Shanaakht (Identity) Festival returned to Karachi on Monday. It is a three day festival organized by the Citizen's Archives of Pakistan. Each morning of the festival is reserved for visiting school children who are thronging the venue of the event. There are photographic exhibitions; discussions with the Partition (of India / birth of Pakistan) Generation; theatre, literary evening, musical concerts, video / new media art and other interactive activities for children as well as the general public. Old, black and white Pakistani films made in 1953, 1959 and 1966 are also being shown; and recorded oral personal history as narrated by several senior citizens of Karachi are being transmitted. It is a brilliant effort by a group of young people of putting together a large-scale free festival. The large attendance shows, once again, that people participate enthusiastically in such events, and also that Karachi/Pakistan, has multiple identities, but the world media generally slots them only in one kind of identity.

KARACHI, Nov 9: With a number of cultural events including photographic exhibitions, film shows and concerts taking place under its banner, the three-day Shanaakht Festival 2009 kicked off here on Monday.

Organised by the Citizens Archive of Pakistan at a private venue in Clifton, one of the festival’s premier features is a display of photographs on various subjects, most of which recall much more peaceful times in this troubled nation’s history.

‘New nation. New freedom. New responsibilities’ focuses on some of the most influential women from Pakistan’s early years.