SON OF A LION (PG)

Director:
Benjamin Gilmour

Starring:
Niaz Khan Shinwari

Plot Summary:
In the tribal areas of Pakistan lies a town where the local industry is handcrafting of firearms. It has been this way since long before the war on terror. Eleven-year-old Niaz works with his father, Sher Alam, learning how to make and test weapons. Sher Alam expects his only son to follow tradition. But Niaz has different ideas...

Genre:
Drama

Duration:
92 Minutes

Origin:
Pakistan

Review by Margaret Pomeranz:
Australian filmmaker Benjamin Gilmour had major adventures making his debut film SON OF A LION in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, an area where foreigners are forbidden.

Disguised as a Pashtun he managed, with the help of the people of Darra Adam Khel and Kohat, to shoot his story of a young boy Niaz – played by the executive producer’s son NIAZ KHUN SHINWARI, who is not interested in following in his father’s footsteps by becoming a gunmaker, he wants an education.

His father, Sher Alam, played by SHER ALAM MISKEEN USTAD, a Pashtun warrior, a survivor of the mujahadeen insurgency against the Soviets. He rigidly refuses to allow Niaz to go to school, against the advice of the boy’s uncle Baktiyar Afridi, (BAKTIYAR AHMEN AFRIDI).

Made under the most chaotic conditions SON OF A LION is a major achievement. It gives wonderful insight into life in the weapons-manufacturing town of Darra Adam Khel and into the culture of the people – the hashish-smoking, the poetry and the patriarchy.
I must admit that a fair way into the film I thought I was watching a documentary, so natural are the performances.

SHER ALAM MISKEEN USTAD is just outstanding as the father, he’s beautiful.

All the performers were local people, untrained – it’s extraordinary what Gilmour achieved with them.'

Gilmour’s screenplay was adapted with the local people so that there is a real authenticity. It’s narratively strong and character rich, and it’s been well directed by this newcomer to the screen.

**** FOUR STARS.
MARGARET POMERANZ. AT THE MOVIES.

Review by David Stratton:
DAVID: It's an extraordinary film. I mean I felt much the same as you. I thought, to start with, it was a documentary. I thought how brave to go in..... obviously a very dangerous part of the world to be and what comes out of it is that it could easily have been a sort of a guerrilla film. I mean it probably was, actually.

MARGARET: He filmed it with a cinematographer who had one battery that lasted 90 minutes. You know the frustrations of making this. I mean you look at the structure that you have to make even a small film in this country.

DAVID: Sure. But what I'm leading up to is that it could easily have been one of these really messy handheldy things, but it's beautifully made..... really well shot. It's really well acted by, presumably, non-professional actors.
I think this is an amazing achievement.

**** FOUR STARS.
DAVID STRATTON. AT THE MOVIES.