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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Original Title: The Kalasha and the Crescent
Languages of the original work: Urdu and English
Subtitles: English
Country of Production: Pakistan/United States
Dates of Production: May-June 2013
Original Format: HD 1080p23.98
Running Time: 12 min, 25 seconds
Number of Tapes/Discs: 1
Black and White or Color: Color
Screen Format: 16: 9; DVD: SD 480p23.98
Quicktime file: HD 1080p23.98
Sound: Stereo
Genre: Documentary
Keywords: Pakistan, Kalash people, indigenous culture, music, dance, art, craft, tradition, identity, religion, archeology, ethnography
SYNOPSIS
Rumored to be the descendants of Alexander the Great, the Kalash people have in fact inhabited northern Pakistan’s Chitral Valley since long before the legendary conqueror came to the region. They uphold a rich cultural heritage, with polytheistic beliefs, seasonal festivals, and a variety of other traditions that are at odds with Pakistan’s dominant Islam. Today, even as the majestic peaks of the Hindu Kush Mountains shield the Kalasha from the region’s worst violence, their culture faces a variety of pressures: poverty, tourism, and Islamism are all contributing to the erosion of Kalash identity. Still, a dedicated group of Kalash advocates are fighting to keep their culture alive.
In May 2013, director Iara Lee traveled to the Chitral Valley to document the Kalash spring festival, Joshi. The Kalasha and the Crescent uses the festival as an entry point into this vibrant community and the tough questions facing it. What does conversion to Islam—whether forced or spontaneous—mean for Kalash identity? Can Kalash traditions withstand the challenges brought by globalization, on the one hand, and by religious tensions on the other? Join members of the Kalash community and observers from around the world as they reckon with these questions.
PRODUCTION
Director, Producer: Iara Lee, Caipirinha Productions
Co-Producer: Shah Zaman Baloch
CREDITS
Director of Photography: Shah Zaman Baloch
2nd Camera: Iara Lee
Editing Supervisor: Armughan Hassan
Editor: Imran Mushtaq
Post-Production Facility: The Crew Films
Sound: Ibrar Butt
Interviewees
Sayed Gul
Akram Hussain
Hill-Aina Steffenach
Julie Lams
Luke Rehmat
Jalil Ahmed
Aakif Khan
Abdul Wahab
Music: Qais Essar
“Bamiyan Sky”
“Pashtana”
Rabab Musicians
Qais Essar
Sher Afzal
Production Coordinator: Claude Ibrahimoff
Post-Production Coordinator: Jeff Marcello
Production Assistant: Susi Collins
Research: Annα Preslαr
Communications Assistant: Eda Pepi
Outreach Assistant: Colin Kinniburgh
Logistics: Wendy Chu
Translators
Suhaee Abro
Ata Khan
Maleeha Sami
Transcription
Magdalena Kodura
Louise Thompson
Naila Kiani
Special Thanks
National Geographic Explorer Programs
Cheryl Zook
Anastasia Cronin
Lisa Rosselli
Terry Garcia
Obaid Ur Rehman Abbasi
Ehsan Ullah Beg
Ishfaq Sagar
Mark Engler
And many more…
WORLDWIDE COPYRIGHT
Caipirinha Productions Inc.
39 Mesa Street #300
Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129 USA
Tel: +1 415 561 3100 – Fax: +1 415 561 3111
info@culturesofresistancefilms.com