In Flames (film)

In Flames
Cannes release poster
Directed by	Zarrar Kahn
Written by	Zarrar Kahn
Produced by	Anam Abbas
Starring	Ramesha Nawal Bakhtawar Mazhar Omar Javaid
Cinematography	Aigul Nurbulatova
Edited by	Craig Scorgie
Music by	Kalaisan Kalaichelvan
Production companies	CityLights Media Other Memory Media Fae Pictures
Distributed by	XYZ Films
Release date	May 19, 2023 (2023-05-19)(Cannes)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	Canada
Language	Urdu

In Flames is a 2023 Pakistani-Canadian supernatural drama film written, directed and co-edited by Zarrar Kahn in his feature directorial debut. ^[1] The film stars Ramesha Nawal, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Adnan Shah Tipu, Mohammad Ali Hashmi and Omar Javaid.

Set in contemporary Karachi, the film centres on Mariam (Nawal), a young woman who becomes haunted by visions of the past, after the death of the family's patriarch leaves her and her mother, Fariha (Mazhar) in a vulnerable social position in Pakistan's highly patriarchal society. ^[2]

In Flames had its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2023 in the Directors' Fortnight section, where it competed for the Camera d'Or. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

This marked the return of Pakistan to Director's Fortnight after more than four decades. ^[6] The film received major critical acclaim ^[7] at Cannes, followed by a North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and winning Best Picture ^[8] at the Red Sea International Film Festival

It premiered in Pakistan on 20 October 2023 and received generally positive reviews from critics. ^[9]

The film was selected as the Pakistani entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards. ^[10]

Synopsis

Set in modern-day Karachi, the film opens with the death of the family patriarch. Mother and daughter find themselves in a precarious situation where their existence is ripped apart. In order to survive in a hostile world dominated by men, the two women have to work together in the face of threats both real and supernatural. ^[11]

Cast

• Ramesha Nawal as Mariam
• Bakhtawar Mazhar as Fariha, Mariam's mother
• Omar Javaid as Asad
• Mohammad Ali Hashmi as Saleem
• Adnan Shah Tipu as Uncle Nasir

^[12]

Release

Premiere and festival screenings

In Flames had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in the Director's Fortnight section on 19 May 2023. ^[13] XYZ Films, a US-based firm, has taken up the international rights ^[14] for the film while North American distribution was acquired by Game Theory Films. ^[15] French rights of the film were acquired by The Jokers.

The film was invited to the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival in the "Contemporary World Cinema" section and was screened on 14 September 2023. ^[16] It was also selected as part of the 28th Busan International Film Festival's "A Window on Asian Cinema" section, screening on 7 October 2023. ^[17] Later in October, it was invited to the 57th Sitges Film Festival as part of the Official Fantastic section, held from 3 to 13 October 2024.

Production

Kahn, a Pakistani Canadian director who has worked in both countries, wrote the film as a commentary on patriarchy and sexism in Pakistan. ^[18]

He described the genre elements of the film being an "extension of the characters' experience...to be in the shoes of Mariam and Fariha, to be suffocated.. and how much power there is in their resistance.” ^[19]

The film was shot in Karachi in February 2022. ^[20]

Kahn produced the film through his company CityLights Media, which received funding from the Telefilm Talent to Watch program. Other Memory Media co-produced with Fae Pictures as the executive producers on the film. ^[21]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 28 reviews ^[22] with a Metascore of 79 - "Generally Favorable." ^[23]

Christian Zilko of IndieWire wrote that "Zarrar Kahn’s genre-bending horror movie — which has the well-deserved honor of being the first Pakistani film to premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight in over four decades — is a Kafkaesque saga of niceties gone awry. What begins as a story of a poor family relying on the kindness of their community quickly turns into a hellish tale of how the ground is always shifting underneath you when all of your benefactors have an angle. Kahn's masterful use of red herrings and subtext creates an environment where nobody ever quite knows where they stand. It's a seedy ride through a bleak existence that would be entertaining enough to watch with popcorn if it didn't depict a life that's all too real for too many people." ^[24]

Manuel Betancourt of Variety wrote that "Anchored by a dizzying central performance by Nawal, whose screen presence draws viewers into Mariam’s mind-melding reality with great zeal, In Flames finely straddles the line between a bold genre exercise and a bruising portrait of contemporary Pakistan to deliver a welcome story about resistance and resilience." ^[25]

Shelagh Rowan-Legg of Screen Anarchy wrote that "In Flames in an intense psychological horror, one that tightens its vice with a slow and deliberate intensity that challenges the viewer to feel what it's like to have your every move, every thought questioned, mocked, until you are backed into a corner with no way out." ^[26]

For The Hollywood Reporter , Lovia Gyarkye wrote that "In Flames teases out how the patriarchy — a large, unruly force — fractures the relationship between mother and daughter. Kahn depicts Mariam and Fariah's parallel experiences, observing how each of them tries to regain a sense of agency. Mariam uses a sympathetic driver to help her figure out what happened to Asad, while Fariah attempts to seduce a lawyer she hired to fight Nasir into lowering his legal fees. These scenes are tinged with a stressful desperation, as the women find themselves further constricted by society." ^[27]

Allan Hunter of Screen Daily wrote that "In Flames is well-crafted, the sound design capturing the jarring sounds of the city at night which seem designed to set everyone on edge. Production designer Matti Malik fills Mariam's home with rich red earth and terracotta colours, lending it the warmth of a sanctuary – albeit one that is increasingly under threat. Kahn slightly drops the ball as he creates a muddled, jeopardy-driven climax that is in too much of a hurry to tie everything up. In the end, however, what lends this film distinction is the way it evolves into a story of female empowerment, and the bond between mother and daughter as they combat the pernicious evils of a patriarchal society." ^[28]

Siddhant Adlakha of JoySauce.com described the film as "a fine-tuned, socially oriented character drama in the shape of a supernatural thriller, with personal demons that take the form of cultural fanaticism, as a woman struggles to make her voice heard in a society hellbent on suffocating her." ^[29]

Accolades

The film won the Golden Yusr Award for Best Picture at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023. ^[30]

It took home the top prize at the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival, the International Newcomer Award ^[31]

Further accolades include winning Best Feature at iSAAF 2023 ^[32]

The film was shortlisted for the Directors Guild of Canada's 2023 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award, ^{[33] [34]} and for the John Dunning Best First Feature Award at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards in 2024. ^[35]

See also

• List of submissions to the 96th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
• List of Pakistani submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

References

1. Radheyan Simonpillai, "Canada at Cannes: Zarrar Kahn looks to set the Croisette on fire with incendiary debut In Flames". The Globe and Mail , May 16, 2023.
2. "'In Flames' Review: Karachi-Set Family Drama is a Ghost Story About the Enduring Power of Ruinous Men". 7 December 2023.
3. https://www.quinzaine-cineastes.fr/en/film/in-flames Camera D'Or
4. Keslassy, Elsa (2023-04-18). "Cannes' Directors Fortnight Unveils 2023 Lineup, Including Films by Hong Sang-soo, Michel Gondry". Variety. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
5. Joshi, Namrata. "Another Pakistani film tackling patriarchy to premiere in France". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
6. "Pakistani film makes it to Cannes Directors' Fortnight after 43 years". 18 May 2023.
7. "Cannes Hidden Gem: Patriarchal Oppression Meets Supernatural Horror in Pakistani Feature 'In Flames'". The Hollywood Reporter . 18 May 2023.
8. "Zarrar Kahn's 'In Flames' wins top prize at Red Sea film festival".
9. "In the picture : We don't talk about Mariam | In the picture | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
10. Verhoeven, Beatrice (October 27, 2023). "China Submits 'The Wandering Earth 2' As Its 2024 International Oscars Entry (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
11. "'In Flames' Review: Karachi-Set Family Drama is a Ghost Story About the Enduring Power of Ruinous Men". 7 December 2023.
12. "'In Flames' cast, Adnan Shah Tipu, make waves at Cannes". The Express Tribune. 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
13. "In Flames".
14. "XYZ Films to Launch New Visions Slate at Cannes with Directors' Fortnight Title 'In Flames'". 19 April 2023.
15. "'In Flames' Supernatural Horror Pic Lands at Game Theory Films (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . 7 November 2023.
16. "In Flames".
17. https://www.biff.kr/eng/html/program/prog_view.asp?idx=67637&c_idx=393&sp_idx=&QueryStep=2
18. "Cannes Hidden Gem: Patriarchal Oppression Meets Supernatural Horror in Pakistani Feature 'In Flames'". The Hollywood Reporter . 18 May 2023.
19. "Zarrar Kahn, Anam Abbas on in Flames and forging new territory in Canadian cinema". 28 September 2023.
20. Namrata Joshi, "Another Pakistani film tackling patriarchy to premiere in France". Al Jazeera , April 19, 2023.
21. "In Flames filmmakers look to build buzz for theatrical release".
22. "In Flames - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
23. https://www.metacritic.com/movie/in-flames/
24. Christian Zilko, "'In Flames' Review: Pakistani Horror Film Is a Cannes Winner". IndieWire , May 19, 2023.
25. "'In Flames' Review: Karachi-Set Family Drama is a Ghost Story About the Enduring Power of Ruinous Men". 7 December 2023.
26. "Toronto 2023 Review: IN FLAMES, the Supernatural Meets Patriarchal Conditioning". 14 September 2023.
27. Lovia Gyarkye, "‘In Flames’ Review: From Pakistan, a Vivid Psychological Thriller That Tackles Grief, Ghosts and the Patriarchy". The Hollywood Reporter , May 19, 2023.
28. Allan Hunter, "‘In Flames’: Cannes Review". Screen Daily , May 19, 2023.
29. Adlakha, Siddhant (2023-06-01). "The Asian Films You May Have Missed at Cannes". JoySauce. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
30. "Zarrar Kahn's 'In Flames' wins top prize at Red Sea film festival".
31. "Mannheim/Heidelberg: Gewinner des IFFMH stehen fest". 24 November 2023.
32. "Awards galore during iSAAF film festival, a 'path-breaking journey' in Surrey". 12 October 2023.
33. Taimur Sikander Mirza, "Women Talking leads film nominees for 2023 DGC Awards". Playback , September 20, 2023.
34. "Pakistan Oscar Contender 'In Flames' Wins Mannheim-Heidelberg Prize – Global Bulletin". Variety. 28 November 2023.
35. "BlackBerry Leads CSA Nominations". Northern Stars, March 6, 2024.

External links

• In Flames at IMDb