By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Sabiha Sumar
Starring: Aamir Malik | Abid Ali | Kiron Kher | Navtej Johar Singh | Shilpa Shukla
Original language title: Khamosh Pani
Country: denmark, germany, iceland, united_kingdom
Year: 2004
Running time: 93
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0357283/combined
Bruce says: “The great power of SILENT WATERS lies in its story.
“In 1947, British India was separated into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and Hindu India. The transition was not easy or without bloodshed. Hindus killed Muslims in India and Muslims killed Hindus in Pakistan. Silent Waters has its roots in events which occurred at that time and takes place in the small community near Rawalpindi in northeastern Pakistan.
“Sikhs who lived in this community, which had become Pakistan, fled to find safety in northern India. As the Sikhs migrated they worried that the Muslims would rape their women. To avoid such disgrace the Sikh women were coerced into a ‘forced suicide’ by jumping to their deaths into the town well.
“The events in the film begin in 1979 around the time Zia Ul-Haq announced his plans for the Islamization of Pakistan, making all laws conform to Islamic laws. Ayesha (Kiron Kher) is a single parent raising her son Saleem (Aamir Malik). Ayesha teaches young girls. Saleem is a good son. He is in love with the daughter of his mother’s best friend, Zubeida (Shilpa Shukla), who aspires to getting a university degree and making something of her life. Saleem is not so sure of his future.
“One day two young men arrive in the village. They are from Lahore, a metropolis, and have been dispatched to recruit young men in the name of Islam. During the course of a few weeks a gang of militants has been formed. One of them is Saleem. They threaten, intimidate and demean anyone who does not meet their standards and follow their rules.
“Saleem becomes a sort of deputy to the two militant leaders and feels a sense of importance and empowerment that he has not felt before. After years of togetherness and bonding as mother and son, it takes only a few weeks for Ayesha and Saleem to grow apart. Zubeida, too, realizes the handsome gentle youth she loved has disappeared. At the time the Islamic gangs are gaining recognition from the villagers, the Sikhs are returning to the village for their annual pilgrimage. What follows is tragic and sad.
“Kiron Kher is suberb as Ayesha. Sabiha Sumar has made documentary films about Pakistan; SILENT WATERS is her first feature film. She pays wonderful attention to details of the environment: the architecture, the markets, and the people who inhabit the village. Her sense of place adds much to her unforgettable tale.” 4 1/2 cats