FILM SCREENING
Oli Kāhuli with Director Muhammad Ali Ijaz
The Center for South Asian Studies, in partnership with the Department of Communications, will host a screening of UH Communications grad Muhammad Ali Ijaz’s film Oli Kahuli, followed by Q&A and discussion with the director on his work making films for environmental awareness and sustainability in Hawai‘i and Pakistan. Time permitting, we may also view one of his short films on sustainability in Pakistan.
Director Bio:
Muhammad Ali Ijaz is a Pakistani filmmaker and media communication specialist a with a degree in filmmaking from the National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan. As an East West Center Fellow, he earned his MA in Communication from the University of Hawaii in 2023. Over the past decade, he has worked as a documentary filmmaker passionately crafting stories that inspire and enlighten both local and international audiences.
His interests have led him to explore stories from Pakistan at the intersection of wildlife conservation, ecology, and culture. His documentaries have received recognition and awards at both national and international film festivals. His film “Missing Vultures” was honored with the “Living Planet Award” by WWF Pakistan. Additionally, his film “Pangolins in Peril: A Story of Rare Scales” received the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Borrego Springs Film Festival in California, as well as the Wildlife Activism Award at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in New York, USA, in 2016. In 2018, he was invited by the Chicago Zoological Society to screen his film at the “International Symposium on Pangolin Conservation” at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. His most recent film in Pakistan, “Margallah Hills- Leopard Kingdom”, highlighted the efforts of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Authority to mitigate human-leopard conflict and protect wild leopards in the Margallah Hills national park. His impactful graduate film in Hawaii delved into the cultural and ecological significance of endangered Hawaiian land snails, revealing the profound impact of their decline on Hawaiian culture, identity, and ecology.
Ali has been teaching documentary filmmaking at various universities in Pakistan, while also producing media projects for renowned organizations such as WWF, UNDP, UNICEF, USAID, and Oxfam. He is currently working on raising funds for his upcoming film project that focuses on the plight of the last wild mugger crocodiles that reside in Hingol National Park, Pakistan. Ali firmly believes in the transformative power of documentaries to inspire, educate, entertain, and effect positive change in individuals and communities.
WHEN: Wednesday October 9
TIME: 4:00 pm
WHERE: Moore Hall 319 (Tokioka Room)
You can also watch his other films on Vimeo.
Ecotourism- Bringing hope to the Indus Duration: 8 mins
https://vimeo.com/157262245
The film explores how ecotourism is helping in the conservation of the rare Indus River Dolphins. Water scarcity and melting glaciers of the Himalayan region are some of the serious issues that we face in Pakistan and this is affecting people and animals like the endangered Indus blind dolphin. Pollution, overfishing and decreasing water levels in the Indus river coupled with frequent floods is a serious threat to the survival of this unique species of freshwater dolphins.
Pangolins in Peril, A Story of Rare Scales | 15 mins | Documentary
The scaly anteater or Indian Pangolin is a rare secretive mammal that lives on a diet of ants and termites. The documentary follows two brave and passionate wildlife watchers Naveed and Sikandar, as they fight against the odds to save the endangered Pangolin from extensive illegal hunting across Pakistan. The film sheds light on the vital ecological role of the Pangolin and helps dispel the many myths about this peculiar looking creature which is on the brink of extinction.
Margallah Hills- Leopard Kingdom | 5 mins | Documentary
Pakistan has seen a number of extinctions in the past century of magnificent animal species like the Asiatic Lion, Asiatic Cheetah and the Bengal Tiger. Despite the odds, the beautiful common leopard has managed to survive in the Margallah Hills National Park that surrounds the capital city of Islamabad. The film highlights how Islamabad Wildlife Management Board is doing its best to save Pakistan’s last wild big cat from extinction.
Missing Vultures | 20 mins | Documentary
The documentary takes a look at the sudden and drastic decline of vultures in Pakistan and the environmental and human health impact caused by the disappearance of this magnificent bird species. Once numbering in the millions and found throughout Pakistan, Vultures are now at the brink of extinction. This documentary reveals the reason behind their disappearance and explores the environmental and cultural significance of these magnificent birds.
Freedom For Money |15 mins | Documentary
This is the 15 minute visual/musical documentary that depicts the tragic journey of birds caught in the wild and sold in the city.