PNCA to hold dance evening on April 29

The Pakistan National Council of Arts will hold a dance evening to mark the International Dance Day on April 29. As usual there is the issue of venue as PNCA subsidiary Shakir Ali Museum has no auditorium. Many of their functions get delayed because of unavailability of the auditorium. All efforts by former PNCA director-general Naeem Tahir to improve the facilities at the museum by finding some place for a complex proved futile due to bureaucratic red tape. Some PNCA officials told this reporter that the museum needed an auditorium to conduct different events. The venue for the upcoming event will be finalised soon. * * * * * * A short film titled Inaam based on sociopolitical issues Pakistani immigrants face in the UK was screened at Cine Gold cinema at Bahria Town this past week. A number of students and other guests enjoyed the flick which has made its mark in the 13th London Asian Film Festival 2011. The film about a young man who struggles as an immigrant in a new culture is the brainchild of Akifa Mian, the writer, director and producer. It was presented by Maas Laetaan Films. Ms Mian is the assistant professor of Theatre Film and Television Department at Beaconhouse National University. The movie stars Rez Kempton, Andrew Bolton, Shradhey Jani and Isabelle Defuat. It was filmed in London with an international cast and crew. It is about a Pakistani lawyer who comes to the UK to practice law. He lives a life where he sees his dreams drifting away from him everyday. The vicious cycle of sending money home and then becoming broke never seizes as he gets stuck in a world of minicab business in gritty London. Throughout the story Inaam encounters prejudice and hostility from all sides; from David, his regular English customer, from his unsympathetic Bangladeshi boss, Abdul, and many others. This project is the result of the four-month research in the South Asian immigrant cab industry in London. The director wanted to show the state of immigrants who come from developing countries and how they keep longing for home, their struggles, fears and lack of assimilation into local culture and the feeling of being lost in a western setting. * * * * * * A two-day classical music festival was organised by the Lahore Arts Council at the Alhamra Art Center, The Mall this past week. More than 200 people turned up at the inaugural and enjoyed some quality music and singing. Prominent among the performers were Dr Amjad Pervaiz, Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan, Nadeem Riaz, Qasim Bhawana, Malik Nadeem, Habibur Rehman and Akram Abba. * * * * * * L`Oréal Paris, the world`s leading beauty brand, and the Pakistan Fashion Design Council will announce their exciting partnership through the PFDC-L`Oréal Paris Bridal Week 2011 to be held in Lahore in September/October. Culturally, in any Pakistani wedding, the bride is always the focus, with her outfit and colour palette, makeup, accessories and overall bridal look chosen in keeping with the belief that a bride is to be the most beautiful woman for that special day. Bridal fashion remains the most influential and primary form of fashion and style within Pakistan today. Speaking on partnering with the PFDC, L`Oréal Pakistan Managing Director Musharraf Hai said: "Bridal Fashion is at the heart of Pakistani culture and we are delighted to be partnering with fashion and style leaders of the PFDC to showcase new talent, beauty and fashion trends in this industry.”