We had the pleasure of meeting Samar Minallah, an inquisitive and personable documentary film-maker who showed us clips of her work in Pakistan. Gathered in the hotel lobby in the evening, we watched a few films and asked many questions - what is it like to be a female film-maker in Pakistan? How are the films received?

Having graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MPhil in Anthropology, her interests lie in civil and human rights which she translates to film in an unswerving but honest manner, holding up a mirror to certain aspects of society in order to effect change. Founding EthnoMedia, an advocacy-based media organisation encompassing her documentary work, she finds that film is still a relatively new and effective tool to raise awareness amongst communities in Pakistan. 

She first showed us a lullaby in Pushtu/Dari that she conceived in order to highlight the importance of girls' education. Lullabies are usually sung for sons and not daughters, so Samar turned the tables and created the first lullaby for girls to be sung in Pushtu/Dari. 

Then we moved on to watch harder-hitting clips of female victims of acid attacks who are often subject to these horrific actions by family members, upset at a perceived 'moral crime,' and the lack of physical mobility for women due to harassment, and the effects of this economically if they are widows, for example, and need to work outside the home in order to earn. 

In order to distribute her work, various governmental and non-governmental organisations have taken up her films, but she also makes a point of showing these films on a projector screen in remote and harder-to-reach communities. As the films are made in local languages, they are accessible and shown publicly to educate and get the word out. 

Speaking up for those who do not have the power to do so, and to continue with her work in the face of dangers in the field, she has made more than a few enemies along the way. Showing a different side to Pakistan than the ever-flowing cups of tea, smiles and questions that the team had been accustomed to slightly knocked their rose-tinted view - Samar doesn't shy away from showing challenging aspects of society, but always does so from a positive point of view, through highlighting strengths and finding space for solutions from within the culture.

I'd like to say a massive thank-you to Samar for opening our eyes and giving us a deeper insight into Pakistan. 

You can view more of her films here: http://www.youtube.com/ethnomedia and do post any questions below!