Islamabad, Pakistan: PULITZER-SUPPORTED SAPAN NEWS DOCUMENTARY ON SRI LANKA’S POST-CRISIS DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMY BEING SCREENED IN PAKISTAN
The 25-minute documentary is academic and artwork of famous journalist and academician Beena Sarwar.
About the film: The 25-minute documentary ‘Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines’ (25 min), following up on the country’s emergence from a political and economic crisis, was completed in early June, supported by The Pulitzer Center, USA.
Offering a unique perspective that transcends national boundaries, the film delves into Sri Lanka’s socio-political landscape, exploring the impact of the 2022 economic crisis through the voices of villagers, policymakers, academics, and political representatives.
It juxtaposes the thoughts and feelings of residents from the ancient village of Dutuwewa with the opinions of urban policymakers, providing a multilayered narrative that explores how the country has coped and what lessons can be learned globally.
Relevance: This documentary is not just about Sri Lanka; it is about the universal challenges of governance, accountability, and the enduring spirit of democratic aspirations.
The film’s relevance was felt as it was being completed when the Indian election results were announced. It felt relevant to the UK and France elections a little later, and it takes on fresh relevance ahead of the recently announced presidential elections in Sri Lanka, scheduled for 21 September 2024. It will also resonate with audiences following recent events in Bangladesh, as well as upcoming elections in the U.S.
Collaboration: In Sri Lanka, working with local reporting partners and camera crew as well as the reputed foreign policy thinktank Factum in Colombo, Beena Sarwar’s stories from Sri Lanka were published on the Sapan News site, as well as the Pulitzer site and various media outlets.
Audiences have responded to the documentary with engagement and thoughtfulness at several screenings followed by discussions with the filmmaker
U.S. screenings: Dishari Public Library in Milpitas CA (15 June) and ArtSpark community center, Austin TX (18 June).
Sri Lanka screenings: Several European guests and locals, eminent Pakistani artists and intellectuals including producer and writer Moneeza Hashmi, artist Naazish Ataullah, and architect Fauzia Qureshi, attended a screening at Weligama in southern Sri Lanka (23 July). Renowned artist and educator Salima Hashmi, a Sapan advisor, introduced the film.
Factum in collaboration with Southasia Peace Action Network and Sapan News, hosted a screening at a 100-seater cinema in Colombo on 25 July, reportedly the first such event of its kind in the country. The activist group Good Governance Yaya in Colombo hosted a screening on 31 July followed by a discussion with group members and the filmmaker.
Media coverage: One of Sri Lanka’s foremost political commentators featured the film in his column last Thursday, 01 August and The Daily Morning, Colombo carried a full-page interview with the filmmaker on Friday, 2 August 2024.
The documentary will be screened in Islamabad on 09 August (The Black Hole), Karachi, on 10 August (The Second Floor), and Lahore, on 15 August (Alhamra Arts Center) followed by discussions with the filmmaker and public intellectuals.
About the filmmaker: Now based in the Boston area, Beena Sarwar is a multi-media journalist, editor, and documentary filmmaker from Pakistan focusing on human rights, gender, media, and peace. She has held senior editorial positions in Pakistani print and television news media and has been on the founding teams of several media ventures including Himal Southasian magazine and Panos South Asia. She has contributed to various international media outlets, including InterPress Service, BBC, Washington Post, and Al Jazeera. She currently teaches journalism at Emerson College, Boston (earlier at Princeton University, Brown University, and Harvard Summer School).
Her academic background includes an MA in Television Documentary from Goldsmiths College, University of London (2001), and international fellowships including at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University and the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
