Title: All That Perishes at the Edge of Land
Running time: 30m
Director: Hira Nabi 
Country: Pakistan
Year: 2019
Language: Urdu Subtitles: English

Join us for a special screening of Hira Nabi’s art film All That Perishes at the Edge of Land (2019), which is part of Hayy Arts’ exhibition ‘At the Edge of Land’, followed by a Q&A with the artist.

Synopsis: In this docu-fictional work, ‘Ocean Master’ a decommissioned container vessel is anthropomorphized, and enters into a dialogue with several workers at the Gadani yards. The conversation moves between dreams and desire, places that can be called home, and the structural violence embedded in the act of dismembering a ship at Gadani. As the workers recall the homes and families they left behind, the long work days mesh indistinguishably into one another, the desperation that they carry with them like shackles rises to the forefront, and they are forced to confront the realities of their work in which they are faced with death every day. How may they survive and look towards the future?

Artist’s Bio: Hira Nabi

Born in 1987, Hira Nabi is a filmmaker and multimedia artist whose practice encompasses research and visual production, exploring the intricate connections between memory, histories, witnessing, and testimonies through both image and narrative. Her focus lies in understanding the present ecological landscape while extending temporal qualities through the medium of cinema. Nabi’s latest project delves into the shipbreaking yard, shedding light on the challenging conditions faced by migrant laborers in Gadani, southwest Pakistan.

She holds an MA in cinema and media studies from The New School, along with a BA in film/video and postcolonial studies from Hampshire College. Nabi has collaborated with Rebeca Chavez in Havana, Cuba, and worked alongside Abbas Kiarostami at EICTV (Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV) in Cuba. Currently based in Lahore, Pakistan, she continues to live and work, contributing to the rich tapestry of her artistic endeavors.