Anima State

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Audience Member Pakistan has an exciting and bizarre new film to add to it's collection of upcoming talent: Anima State. It's as if the filmmaker was tied up, had his innocence and dreams ripped out of him, and is told to narrate a story on a diet of truth serum, opium and "brain masala". Director Hammad Khan opens the film with the following explanation of the film title written on the screen: "Anima: The part of the psyche that is directed inward and in touch with the subconscious State: Condition, situation or country." In a tranquil scene of an outdoor cafe the opening scene of the murder of 5 is as mundane as the daily violence that plagues this country. The difference however is the targets who are usually safe from much randomness. Their blood speckled belongings show what they symbolize, Smart phones, shades, a designer bag and foreign clothing. The Elite of Pakistan hated by some simply for what they are born with and on occasion because of what they do with that privilege. Interestingly the young group that gets shot are also the stars of Slackistan Hammad Khan the Director's previous film that received mixed reviews a ban in Pakistan and some ire that it focused on the slackers in Pakistan. (Well it was called Slackistan) Later in the film "the tweeter" is entertained to meet him - the central character who is Hammad Khan resulting in him subsequently getting beaten up by the Keyboard Warriors, A similar fate that alternative art usually receives in Pakistan. We have not been introduced to the characters murdered in the first scene so the audience feels little connection to them, instead we are immediately intrigued by the masked figure (with a completely bandaged face) who after shooting them in seconds is driven off in the cab that he arrived in to the upbeat sound of "do pal ka ye jeevan" (this brief momentary life) by The Vital Signs 80's Pop stars of Pakistan whose lead singer left music and became a fairly radical and mysogynist preacher under the tutelage of the tableeghi jamaat. The masked figure's next stop is the Unity Faith Discipline Sign on the outskirts of Islamabad. It is the motto of Pakistan given to it by the founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the lack of all 3 in today's Pakistan is evident, though the dreamers still aspire to "Jinnah's Pakistan". Retro radio news footage in the background reminds us that "Pakistan's very existence depended on a powerful military". The masked man's encounter with the police officer in the next scene is telling though unsurprising to the average Pakistani. After hearing a confession of the crime of 5 murders the policeman is unperturbed and repeatedly tells the murderer to get lost though he is certainly not averse to taking money from him. One interesting and poignant aspect of the film is the archetypes of woman that appear played powerfully by Malika Zafar. She alternately plays a beggar, a victim of domestic abuse, a speaker at a socio-political forum and a prostitute. I felt the archetype of woman was lacking in a fully empowered role for the woman, though there are few examples in Pakistan and an appearance as a Goddess would probably result in a blasphemy charge. Returning to the central character played by Uns Mufti his mask of bandages is finally removed by the woman to reveal that he is a young film maker who still has demons to battle though the dream/ experience is behind him. The amount of emotion he has thus far been able to express just through his eyes is amazing, and he explains in one scene the reason for the bandages is that his head might explode. Perhaps the strangest thing about the surreal in this film is the ability of a Pakistani to easily relate to it. The Perversity of the Television Anchor is played masterfully by Omar Khalid Butt. He is eager to portray a suicide (Live!) on TV is a good representation of the media fetish for violence, and the breakdown of the waiter in response to a lack of water, gas and electricity is a reflection of the daily miseries of the public. His dreams of a messiah leader and taking out his frustrations on his wife illustrate the cycle of horror that perpetuates problems. Certainly Anima State is a Dark film, but the recognition and reflection of our fears on screen is almost a relief. When the character of Hammad exclaims that this story does not make any sense, you want to comfort him and emphatically agree. This film is so raw, and the expression of these themes so vivid that I truly wish it can be seen throughout Pakistan and Worldwide. In the final scene the question seems to be where can we escape to? And is it a real escape if the demons are allowed to grow unfettered ? Won't they follow us wherever we go ? Can we escape through film ? I was relieved to watch this film, because I felt my pain had been understood. If most films are prose, Anima State is a poem. "Mujhe yahan se itni duur le jao ke mujhe yahan ka khwab bhi na aaye" (Take me so far from here that I am not even able to dream of this place). This is the final thought of this film, which seeks to paint a picture of Pakistan and the many horrors that plague it. The desire to escape Pakistan is almost universally prevalent in the youth population and when this cannot be done physically the consolation is retreating to happier places via film as illustrated later in the story. Anima State is a window into present day Pakistan, and a journey into the terror's of it's soul. In Anima State Hammad Khan proves that it is better to shoot with a camera than shoot with a gun, it's far more powerful. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Anima State

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