In a surprising turn of events, an Indian producer joined hands with Pakistanis to produce an animated film. Emmy-winning producer of Netflix’s Delhi Crime, Apoorva Bakshi, announced teaming up with Pakistan’s first ever hand-drawn style animated feature film The Glassworker.
The Delhi Crime producer will run the film through her production company Awedacious Originals. Bakshi, who was swept off her feet by the impeccable talent of the animation team, said, “The Glassworker is a truly remarkable project spearheaded by the gifted trio – Usman, Mariam and Khizer, alongside a team of young artists in Pakistan who are igniting a creative revolution in South Asia through their exceptional work.”
The animated project is set in a location inspired by its birth country, Pakistan, with buildings in the film resembling those of the metropolitan city, while the costumes of the characters were inspired by the country’s national dress Shalwar Kameez, to create a stronger bond and relevance with the people.
The Miyazaki-style feature follows the story of a father-son duo who run a glass workshop but find themselves roped in a war they want nothing to do with.
Helmed by Usman Riaz, a longtime fan of Studio Ghibli’s style in animation, the film is crowdsourced and funded through a Kickstarter campaign, raising $116,000.
Riaz also co-founded Mano Animation Studios in Karachi, making it the first ever hand-drawn animation studio, hiring young animators including women.
The Glassworker was among the eight feature films from all over the globe that wrre selected for the Work In Progress category at France’s Annecy International Animation Festival 2022.
Annecy Film Festival is recognised globally and is always on the lookout for anything that stands out in the world of animation. The Work in Progress list narrows down films bursting with the potential for future awards and box office success.
Meanwhile, Bakshi will also be working on another Pakistani feature, One Of A Kind by Iram Parveen Bilal, through Awedacious Originals. One Of A Kind — live-action feature — was selected for Busan’s Asian Project Market last year.
Here s all you need to know about Pakistan s first anime inspired by Studio Ghibli
