“A Song of Humble Beauty” is a documentary directed by Anna Konik, taking viewers to Karachi to explore the richness of the Pakistani culture. The film had its world premiere on 26 May 2025 during the 65th Krakow Film Festival. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is a co-producer of the film.
“A Song of Humble Beauty” – Pakistani traditions as seen by a Polish visual artist and director
The film, lasting 56 minutes, takes viewers to the largest city of Pakistan, a centre of the country’s textile industry, and is a moving tale of craftsmen from Karachi and neighbouring towns Hala and Bhit Shah as well as villages in District Tando Allahyar and District Mirpurkhas in the Indus Basin. It takes on a form of a film essay – a poetic reflection on human resilience and beauty drawn from everyday life. The artist presents daily reality of local artisans and musicians, who in the world hallmarked by postcolonialism and patriarchal heritage find strength and dignity in simplicity, work, and tradition. However, the film not only stands for ethnographic documentation, but can also be viewed as a reflection on global challenges such as climate change and social inequalities.
The film had its world premiere in 2025 during the 65th Krakow Film Festival, where it qualified to the Polish Competition. In her works, Anna Konik focuses on analysing relations between history, culture, and identity. The film is the third part of the triptych, acting as a supplement to the previous works entitled “Silence Heard Loud” and “In the Same City, Under the Same Sky”.
Screenings of the film as part of the 65th Krakow Film Festival:
- 26 May 2025, 19:00, Kino ASP – world premiere;
- 28 May 2025, 13:30, Kino Pod Baranami;
- 30 May – 15 June 2025, KFF VOD (online)
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