IDFA 2017
Insha'Allah Democracy
Mohammed Ali Naqvi
Pakistan, United States
2017
85 min
Dutch Premiere
In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the family of filmmaker Mohammed Naqvi belonged to a Muslim minority that suffered discrimination and persecution. Corrupt or incompetent presidents of the republic consistently failed to protect them. But then in 1999, the secular general Pervez Musharraf seized power, and went on to rule as a dictator for eight years. It was a period in which, for the first time in his life, Naqvi felt safe in his own country. With the support of the West, Musharraf endeavored to prevent post-9/11 Pakistan from becoming a "terrorist state." When Naqvi came to vote in a democratic election for the first time, he faced a dilemma: should he vote for a corrupt politician, a religious fanatic who supported the Taliban, or for a general who came to power undemocratically in 1999? In a personal search, he explores whether democracy is appropriate for an unstable Islamic country. Pakistan’s recent history shows how past political choices continue to have an impact today. And how can citizens make the right choices if they lack a knowledge of history?
Credits
Production
Mohammed Ali Naqvi,
Jared Ian Goldman for 64th Street Media, LLC
Mohammed Ali Naqvi,
Jared Ian Goldman for 64th Street Media, LLC
Cinematography
Editing
Hemal Trivedi,
Chris McCue,
Shiraz Mehboob
Hemal Trivedi,
Chris McCue,
Shiraz Mehboob
Screening copy
64th Street Media, LLC
64th Street Media, LLC
Sound Design
John Bosch
John Bosch
Music
Toni Martin Dobrzanski,
Nicklas Schmidt
Toni Martin Dobrzanski,
Nicklas Schmidt
Screenplay
Co-production
Impact Partners
Impact Partners