BALOCHI FILMS: A CASE STUDY OF BALOCHISTAN HOTEL

Abstract

This research specifically focuses on the Balochi regional cinema. It explores the influence of new realism of Italian cinema in Balochi regional films, and how the realism of film is being challenged by the modern digital technologies. Specifically this research focuses on the challenges and process of film making in Baluchistan through a case study of the film Balochistan Hotel. Moreover, the impact on film as an art form due to the absence of the women has been discussed in this research study. The data for the present research was collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews of the director, script writer, and producer of Balochistan Hotel Dr. Haneef Shareef and actors who performed in the film. This research argues that Balochi cinema is affected by the absence of women as well as the patriarchal structure that it both represents and emerges from. It has been found in this study that the women have been doubly marginalized in the context of the film Balochistan Hotel. Firstly, the women are marginalized due to the exploitation and political victimization of the men in the film’s plot. Secondly, they are marginalized due to the absence of her role in the film and only the representation of dominant masculinity in the film Balochistan Hotel. This research also discusses how a multi-layer of the challenges Baloch filmmaker face on the grounds of finance, unavailability of actors particularly female actors, absence of cinema halls. Moreover, this research highlights how the ban, on the first ever Balochi film made, is responsible for the current poor condition and absence of women from Balochi films. Key words: Filmmaking, digitalization, exploitation, marginalization, cinematic realism, double marginalization.