Sundance 2022: Seemab Gul
Seemab Gul tells us about making her short film, Sandstorm, a story of young women and sexual politics in Pakistan, as well as the challenges of filming during lockdown and the advice she’d give to her younger self.
Tell us a bit about your journey as a filmmaker so far – what motivated you to start making films?
Since I trained as a painter, I always had a fascination with images and the meaning behind them. Film has the further possibility of creating a narrative and it's a flexible medium. Cinema incorporates many artforms and it's a new language that's still evolving, so that excited me. After a few years of political activism, I wanted to employ my creativity to tell thought-provoking stories. I also briefly studied visual anthropology which was my formal introduction into filmmaking.
What inspired you to make this short film?
Sandstorm / Mulaqat was inspired by stories from my sisters in Karachi, and I came across many news stories from the Muslim world where young girls got into trouble for sharing something fairly innocent online. At first, you'd think that no one would make that mistake, but many young people do and some pay a heavy price for it. I wanted to explore that space and how young Muslim girls navigate online dating while having too many restrictions in a patriarchal culture.
What was the most exciting part of the whole filmmaking process for you?
Working with young actors and non-actors who took their responsibilities seriously allowed me, as a director, to grow with them as artists. It was a rewarding process to watch the lead actor, Parizae Fatima, flourish in her role and give us incredible performances.
Did you encounter any new challenges from making this film that you had not faced before?
Creating a sandstorm in Karachi was a mammoth task in the midst of a pandemic lockdown and with a hundred cast and crew members. It's a miracle we managed to create the entire sandstorm scene within half a day. I call it ‘organized chaos’.
What does it mean to you for your film to be a part of the 2022 Sundance Festival?
After having the world premiere at the 78th Venice Film Festival, it was a wonderful surprise to be selected in competition at Sundance 2022. Sandstorm was suddenly noticed by many other festival programmers across North America and further afield. It also opened some doors for me, as some agents got in touch to see what I'm developing next. It's a privilege to be a part of the Sundance family.
Is there a current filmmaker out there whose style of work particularly excites you?
I like the work of Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay. It's interesting that she carries on making short films alongside hugely successful feature films, possibly to experiment with the film form. I admire her visual approach, cinematographic style, and, of course, the perspective of the female auteur.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to your younger self at the very beginning of their creative journey?
I would tell my younger self to “believe in yourself and your own abilities”.
And finally, what sort of project would you like to undertake next?
I'm currently developing my debut feature film, Haven of Hope. It's about three women from a Pakistani safe house who dare to venture into the outside world for a day in Karachi.
