Cannes (TDI): A significant milestone for Pakistani cinema as Karmash, a 15-minute experimental short film, by independent filmmaker Aleem Bukhari, premiered at the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.
This marks the first-ever Pakistani short film to be featured in this coveted category. Shot in black-and-white and styled as an introspective visual essay, the film challenges conventional storytelling with its non-linear, journal-like structure.
Opening with the hypnotic rhythm of Japanese Taiko drums, Karmash sets a haunting tone as it unveils a surreal montage of a decaying city and a lone survivor — the last of the fictional “Karmash” tribe — navigating fragmented memories and ancestral legacies.
Despite its international success, Karmash is a proudly grassroots project. Bukhari, alongside five close collaborators — Irfan Noor K, Shahzain Ali Detho, Muhammad Ali Shaikh, Ebad Talpur, and Qadir Abbas — produced the film using borrowed equipment, personal bikes for transport, and a shoestring budget.
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It is a joint production of Sleepbyte Films and Braanz Films. Shot on a Sony A6400 with a 35mm lens, Karmash relies heavily on natural light and minimal artificial support, creating a visually compelling and immersive atmosphere.
“The production was extremely challenging,” shared Bukhari. “Most of the budget went into fuel and food. We had no big setups — just passion, resilience, and a love for cinema.”
Bukhari’s cinematic influences — from David Lynch to Satyajit Ray — echo through the film’s moody, introspective narrative and emphasis on emotion over exposition.
“The film is about oppression — the theft of identity and cultural belonging,” says Bukhari. “Through the fictional Karmash tribe, I wanted to create a universal narrative that speaks to displacement and erasure.”
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Bukhari, who has previously directed short films like Sapola and Anaari Science, views Karmash not just as a story, but as an emotional experience.
Rooted in his hometown of Hyderabad, he sees film as a vessel for preserving memory, emotion, and place.
As Karmash continues to garner acclaim, its success underscores the power of independent cinema and the emerging voice of a new generation of Pakistani filmmakers.
Areeba Kanwal is a contributor at The Diplomatic Insight and has passion for International Relations and diplomacy.
