Pakistani short/comedy
PATRI
Directed by
Ahsan Minhas
Starring
Aamir Ali
Ramil Aftab
Imran Sonu
Muhammad Tanveer
Naveed Baloch
Areeba Chisti
Lanugage
Urdu
ON MAKING PATRI
BY AHSAN MINHAS
The inspiration was to create a satire comedy on the question of “what if a guy wanted to commit suicide in Pakistan on the train tracks like the old classic movies?” The situation of a person who wants to end his life in a place where its dependent on time – and the time is unreliable which would give a person many experiences to rethink that very decision, the absurdity of the situation is what intrigued me.
The process was not as easy as it was in the summer with a lot of problems happening around – the waiting for the train, the people at the train station staring at us as if we were crazy – all that is fun and exciting to make a film in a tough environment like that.
Minimal equipment with almost no control of the location is what made me want to create a film in that process to have the location itself present new opportunities to improvise which I feel is the art of filmmaking, to adapt to unknown situations into the script itself and be open to insane ideas.
trailer
About the Director
Ahsan Minhas, a passionate and talented film director, writer, and producer, had worked earlier in his path with LSF Short-Film Group in London, UK at 19 for short films made for BBC, and later he obtained a qualification in Film Production from the esteemed New York Film Academy in NY, USA in 2018 having worked in various Hollywood projects.
Now with more than 15 short films to his credit, Ahsan’s work has garnered significant recognition, including 9 international film festival selections and 3 wins. His film “My Dear Fiction” was selected at the prestigious 1st Red Sea International Film Festival as the top 15 short films in Saudi Arabia in 2021 and won at the Global Film Awards for Best Drama Short in Los Angeles, USA in 2022.
Ahsan’s latest project, the Saudi Short Film “Sukoon – Addiction of Silence,” showcases his distinctive and unconventional storytelling style. It marks him as the first Pakistani Filmmaker to have films selected at the Saudi Film Festival, breaking barriers in the Middle East’s film landscape as a Pakistani, now collaborating with the Saudis & Americans.
The accolades for “Sukoon” continued with wins for “Best Foreign Short” at the Anatolian Film Awards 2023. Ahsan’s prowess as a director and screenwriter was further recognized with “Best Director & Best Screenplay” awards at the Independent Shorts Awards 2023. “Sukoon” also earned an official selection at Hollywood Blvd. Film Festival 2023 and winning big at the Sharjah International Film Festival 2023 in UAE for “Best Middle East Short Film”. Ahsan’s films are a testament to his commitment to meaningful & universal storytelling that resonates with audiences worldwide. He firmly believes in the power of cinema to initiate conversations and evoke emotions, making it a vital medium for societal change and cultural evolution.
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