Bo Kata

Last updated

Bo Kata
Bo-kata-mid.jpg
Digital release poster by Shehzad Afzal
Directed by Shehzad Afzal
Produced by Shehzad Afzal
Cinematography Shehzad Afzal
Edited by Shehzad Afzal
Music byJohn Walden
Production
company
Filmedup Ltd
Distributed byFilmedup Ltd
Release date
  • 22 February 2007 (2007-02-22)
Running time
26 minutes
CountriesPakistan
United Kingdom
LanguagePunjabi / Urdu

Bo Kata is a 2007 documentary film produced, directed, edited and shot by Shehzad Afzal. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The original soundtrack for Bo Kata was composed by musician John Walden from Fife Scotland, who runs studio outfit Daft Dog Music. [5]

Douglas Mackinnon, Scottish Film and TV Director ("The Flying Scotsman", "Jekyll", "Bodies", "The Vice", Doctor Who ), who attended the film premiere of Bo Kata in Dundee at the Contemporary Arts Cinema (February 2007), said it was "A beautifully made film about a world of kites and conflict, with marvelously atmospheric music." [6]

Bo Kata was nominated for the Satyajit Ray Film Foundation Award 2007 for Best Film in association with the British Council and the British Film Institute.

Bo Kata received a limited theatrical release across the UK in 2007 and was selected for in-competition for a number of international film festivals and showcases such as the Festival 3ER Internacional de Cine de Monterrey, the 2° Festival Internacional de Cine Documental de la Ciudad de México - 2007 - DOCSDF - DOCSMX and the world renowned 13th Bite the Mango International Film Festival 2007 in Bradford. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

In late October 2019, Bo Kata was released on the Android platform in the shape of a downloadable mobile application for both the Amazon AppStore and Google Play , called Bo Kata Digital. [15] [16] The concept started in early January 2019, the idea behind the 'app' was to create a user interface that resembled old DVD film menus, adding extras and features for a new audience who could watch the documentary in the mobile sphere. The application was developed and designed by Shehzad Afzal and written in Java code, the artwork, and music for the interactive menus were also created by Shehzad carefully recreating the atmosphere of the Basant festival with sharp contrasting colors and abstract kite motifs.

Plot

Cries of Bo Kata are chanted when kites are eliminated during torrid sky battles which see duellists pit their best-crafted kites and kite string to the ultimate test of skill and endurance. Bo Kata when translated into English roughly means hacked!

Bo Kata was filmed during the Basant Kite festival in Lahore, Pakistan, over three continuous days. The documentary depicts the unique rooftop kite duellists of the city. [17]

The annual celebration of the coming of Spring, known as Basant in Pakistan, has been a tradition and cultural heritage of Pakistan for over 400 years. A series of tragic accidents resulting in decapitations and dismemberment from illegal chemically coated strings used to fly the kites has seen the age-old tradition come under attack from politicians, the authorities and the non kite-flying public.

The Bo Kata documentary provides an insight into the fanatical kite flying population and the lucrative industry surrounding it amidst the political backdrop of an impending ban.

Production

Bo Kata was filmed on location in Lahore, Pakistan during the Annual Basant Kite Festival (Spring Festival) over three consecutive days in February 2004.

Shehzad Afzal wanted a simplified music palette for the score to denote the kite strings and to convey lightness and space. John Walden used a mixture of guitar strings and Indian instrument sounds to produce a beautifully orchestrated sound space, which married perfectly with the visuals. A detailed interview appeared in the December 2007 /January 2008 issue of roughcuts Scottish Screen Industries Magazine, where Shehzad spoke about his past, present and future creative projects. [18] [19] [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kite</span> Tethered aircraft

A kite is a tethered heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have a bridle and tail to guide the face of the kite so the wind can lift it. Some kite designs do not need a bridle; box kites can have a single attachment point. A kite may have fixed or moving anchors that can balance the kite. The name is derived from the kite, the hovering bird of prey.

<i>Balseros</i> (film) 2002 film

Balseros is a 2002 Catalan documentary co-directed by Carles Bosch and Josep Maria Domènech about Cubans leaving during the Período Especial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Havana Film Festival</span>

The Havana Film Festival is a Cuban festival that focuses on the promotion of Latin American filmmakers. It is also known in Spanish as Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana, and in English as International Festival of New Latin American Cinema of Havana. It takes place every year during December in the city of Havana, Cuba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fighter kite</span> Kite used in the sport of kite fighting

Fighter kites are kites used for the sport of kite fighting. Traditionally, most are small, unstable single-line flat kites where line tension alone is used for control, at least part of which is manja, typically glass-coated cotton strands, to cut down the line of others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahara International Film Festival</span>

The Sahara International Film Festival, also known as FiSahara, is an annual event which takes place in the Sahrawi refugee camps, at the southwest corner of Algeria, near the border with Western Sahara. It is the only film festival in the world held in a refugee camp. The first festival was in large part organised by Peruvian film director Javier Corcuera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Chile</span>

Chilean cinema refers to all films produced in Chile or made by Chileans. It had its origins at the start of the 20th century with the first Chilean film screening in 1902 and the first Chilean feature film appearing in 1910. The oldest surviving feature is El Húsar de la Muerte (1925), and the last silent film was Patrullas de Avanzada (1931). The Chilean film industry struggled in the late 1940s and in the 1950s, despite some box-office successes such as El Diamante de Maharajá. The 1960s saw the development of the "New Chilean Cinema", with films like Three Sad Tigers (1968), Jackal of Nahueltoro (1969) and Valparaíso mi amor (1969). After the 1973 military coup, film production was low, with many filmmakers working in exile. It increased after the end of the Pinochet regime in 1989, with occasional critical and/or popular successes such as Johnny cien pesos (1993), Historias de Fútbol (1997) and Gringuito (1998).

<i>Neukölln Unlimited</i> 2010 German film

Neukölln Unlimited is a 2010 German documentary. The film follows three Lebanese siblings—Hassan, Lial and Maradona—through their daily lives in Berlin's district of Neukölln.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simón Bross</span> Mexican director and producer

Simón Bross is a Mexican director and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Lahore</span> Overview of the culture of Lahor (Pakistan)

The culture of Lahori People is a manifestation of the lifestyle, festivals, literature, music, language, politics, cuisine and socio-economic conditions of its people. It is characterised by the blending of South Asian, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Western influences.

Lahore, being the richest cultural city in Pakistan, celebrates a number of festivals throughout the year. It is known for the festivals of Basant and Mela Chiraghan, but many others are celebrated in the metropolis as well.

Shehzad Afzal is a Scottish writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographer and game designer born in Dundee .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petra Costa</span> Brazilian actress and filmmaker

Petra Costa is a Brazilian filmmaker and actress. In 2020, her documentary film The Edge of Democracy was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards and won a Peabody Award. She has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2018.

<i>Kites Grounded</i> Pakistani film

Kites Grounded is an upcoming Pakistani Punjabi language drama film directed by Murtaza Ali and produced by Seema Hameed. The film stars Irfan Khoosat, Tasneem Kausar, Abid Kashmiri and others. The story is about the life of old Chacha Kareem who, after being rendered jobless following the passing of the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (amendment) Bill in 2009, is gradually losing his passion for making kites. Film has been shot in old Lahore, a city where kite-flying holds much importance.

Basant is a spring time kite flying event during the Basant Panchami festival in the Punjab. It falls on Basant, also called Basant Panchami. According to the Punjabi calendar it is held on the fifth day of lunar month of Magha marking the start of spring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viña del Mar International Film Festival</span>

The Viña del Mar International Film Festival is a Latin American film festival held annually in Viña del Mar, Chile.

Nobody Dies Here is a 2016 French documentary short film directed by Simon Panay. The film has been presented as World Premiere to the 20th Rhode Island International Film Festival where it won the First Jury Prize for Best Documentary.

<i>Chicago Boys</i> (film) 2015 Chilean film

Chicago Boys is a 2015 Chilean documentary film written and directed by Carola Fuentes & Rafael Valdeavellano. The film tells the story of the Chicago Boys, a group of Chilean economists trained at the Catholic University of Chile who, after conducting graduate studies at the University of Chicago under professor Arnold Harberger, return to their country and, after Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship (1973–1990), become the main ideologues of the neoliberal economic model in Chile.

References