ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: In a bid to further strengthen cultural relations, Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) and the Embassy of Kazakhstan organized screening of a movie titled “Kazakh Khanate –Diamond Sword” here at PNCA, auditorium on Wednesday 31 Jan 2024.The movie was screened in the Urdu language.Kazakh Khanate: Diamond Sword tells the history of fifteenth century Eurasia.
Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi, Caretaker Minister for National Heritage & Culture Jamal Shah and Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan H.E Yerzhan Kistafin along with Director General PNCA Muhammad Ayoub Jamali and large number of people attended the movie screening.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi addressing the screening ceremony of a Kazakh movie at the Pakistan National Council of Arts, underlined the need for promoting cinemas in the country to foster cultural values of tolerance and harmony in the society.
He said, “Nothing impresses, educates and illuminates better than cinema. Probably hundreds of high-pitch, hyperbolic and hyper ventilating speeches cannot educate you like this movie, I am sure, can educate and sensitize you better.”
He expressed gratitude to the ambassador of Kazakhstan in Pakistan and Caretaker Minister for Culture and Heritage Jamal Shah for inviting him to speak on the screening of “Kazakh Khanate”.
“Nobody probably in this auditorium can truly represent cinema better than Jamal Shah. He lives and breaths cinema,” he said while expressing the resolve to work with his cabinet colleague to promote the culture through cinema.
“We will try both with and without the government to do our job to address the challenges people faced today,” he said while highlighting the urgency for the next elected government to address the crises such as culture of intolerance, extreme polarization amid the heavily divided global landscape.
“We have huge challenges in front of us and one of those challenges in the domain of culture and perception is extreme intolerance, and personality cult and cult worship that won’t be cured by criminalizing things,” he noted.
The minister said, “Law will and shall take its course but when it comes to dealing with long term consequences, there is nothing better than culture. In culture, cinema holds special place, so we must promote good cinemas.
“ He assured the Kazakh envoy of all-out support of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and its attached departments. “Kazakhstan is not a far away land” as it was connected with Pakistan both geographically and culturally, he added.
“There is a great future for cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan,” he said, noting that the screening of the film “should be a learning experience and a point of departure to deepen our relationship to new heights.”
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Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Jamal Shah said that it was a really educational movie, which specifies that honour, solidarity and dignity are above anything else.
The minister also noted that the movie screening reflects the growing cultural and collaborative ties between Pakistan and Kazakhstan. He emphasized the paramount importance of cultural exchanges, acknowledging the rich cultural heritage and picturesque landscapes of the region.
Jamal Shah expressed a keen interest in enhancing collaboration in film and cinema to further fortify bilateral cultural ties.
The Ambassador of Kazakhstan H.E Yerzhan Kistafin stressed that through the prism of the film, the life of the people of that time, the geopolitical conditions of the formation of the Kazakh Khanate, as well as details of costumes and battle scenes were conveyed.
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He said that this is a movie based on footage for a great historical show. The Ambassador commended PNCA and National Heritage and Culture Division for collaborating Kazakhstan movie screening.
Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin highlighted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of culture during the 12th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission in Astana on December 21, 2023.
He also announced the upcoming celebration of the 30th anniversary of the opening of the diplomatic mission of Kazakhstan in Islamabad, while discussing the film’s plot and historical significance.
The screening, attended by representatives from government official, business, academic, and creative circles of Pakistan, concluded with a standing ovation from the Pakistani audience.
A photo exhibition dedicated to modern Kazakhstan received high praise, and the guests of the event highly appreciated the historical film, emphasizing the shared cultures and traditions of the two nations.
An agreement has been reached with the management of the leading Pakistani television channel PTV to broadcast the film on PTV in the near future.
