Pakistani director Zarrar Kahn premiered his horror movie In Flames at the Cannes Film Festival in France, where it garnered early acclaim. The film will premiere during the Directors’ Fortnight section of the prestigious film festival from May 19th to May 27th and stars Rameesha Nawal, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Adnan Shah, and Omair Javaid.
Anam Abbas’s In Flames is about a mother and daughter who are struggling to figure out how to move forward in their relationship and in their lives after the loss of the family patriarch. They need to draw strength from one another in order to withstand the evil that surrounds them. The film relies largely on feelings, noises, and monologues between the women rather than music or a glamour factor.
The Globe and Mail drew parallels between Kahn and the American filmmaker Ari Aster in their review of his work. “The film is put together with the intense craft and torque we saw in Ari Aster’s hereditary, but with more heart and conviction,” they said.
While on the plane to France for the Cannes Picture Festival, Bakhtawar Mazhar told Independent Urdu that she wouldn’t see the finished picture until the festival began. “There are barely any scary films made in Pakistan that are also set here,” she lamented. Covid caused a delay in post-production for In Flames, which had been scheduled for 2019.
She remarked, “I knew this story would get world fame the moment we started shooting and recording the film.” True to form, it eventually manifested. After that, Cannes and other international film festivals decided to show the picture. I’m pleased, but not as pleased as my mom.
The film’s main character, Bakhtawar Mazhar, does not, however, claim exclusive authorship. I’m not the only one who has put a lot of effort into this movie. Together, we celebrate this achievement,” she said.
