In Flames

In Flames

Pakistan’s dark and unsettling Oscar nominee

Mariam’s father has just died, and her entire family finds itself at the mercy of a slimy uncle. In line with the rules of rusty patriarchy that hold sway in modern Pakistan, Mariam and her mother try to challenge male domination, but they have no tools. They never got them from the state or society, nor can they count on their friends. The only person who shows understanding to Mariam is her college friend. The friendship quickly turns into something deeper, but tragedy strikes. Mariam becomes plagued by ghosts of the past and, what is most frightening, they aren’t at all more terrifying than the rigid patriarchal rules she has to fight against in the light of day.

“In Flames” is a dense, depressing piece of cinema, packed with gloom and gorgeously photographed. It is demure and raw, but still manages to scare. However, it doesn’t use worn-out clichés but skilfully plays with the viewer’s expectations and emotions. Zarrar Khan, the director of ‘In Flames’, takes the audience into a suffocating world – a trap that Mariam learned to live in. This poignant tale was a Pakistani contender for an Academy Award. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was also screened at festivals in Toronto and Busan. “In Flames” enthralled critics with its skilful balance of horror cinema elements and deep study of sexism and its links to religion, as well as the difference between law and custom. A powerful, thought-provoking screening.