Locating a documentary cinema of accountability: the emergence of activist film practices as a socio-political movement in contemporary pakistan
Maintaining trends of resistance movements, activist agendas, 
and advocacy campaigns initiated in opposition to the Islamization period 
and the dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq (1977-1988), contemporary 
expressions of resistance in Pakistan have also begun to include ‘activist 
documentary’ film practices. As issues of religious fundamentalism and 
extremism, gendered violence, violation of human rights, impact of 
Islamization and rigid Sharia laws, particularly on women and minorities, 
besides the violent socio-cultural and tribal practices such as stoveburning, 
acid-attacks, honour-killing, honour-rape, and swara continue 
to haunt the civil society, a new generation of creative activists are using 
documentary film as their activist vehicle of communication, resistance and 
consciousness-raising. This thesis will focus on independent documentary 
filmmakers, productions, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), as 
well as a government body, that have contributed to the emergence of an 
activist documentary film movement in contemporary Pakistan since the 
Islamization period. It will discuss their contribution and significance to 
the growth and progress of this emerging film category in the country, and 
argue for an investigative filmic body of work that can be identified as 
a critical documentary ‘cinema of accountability’ from within a Muslim 
society that seeks to provoke debate on crucial issues, stress legislative 
reforms, and promote social change.