Zaara

‘Zaara’ is a beautiful, even if heartbreaking, glimpse into the life of the eponymous protagonist. A Pakistani girl in the UK, Zaara lives a life consumed entirely by her creative pursuits of filmmaking. As she struggles to stay afloat in the face of dire financial crisis, tugging at her with full force are also conflicted familial relationships. Located at the heart of debt, emotional burdens of a family that refuses to be supportive (while also suffering in the face of their daughter’s financial choices), Zaara refuses to give up, forever pushing forth.

As racist, exploitative debt collectors close in, and the protagonist concocts lies to keep going with the shooting of her film, matters truly come to a head. Accompanying them are tribulations for the family as well, simply because of association with their daughter.

Though a film of limited resources, ‘Zaara’ leaves no stone unturned in its attempts to weave a poignant story about a young minority voice against the world, which sometimes includes her immediate family and their own sexism. Additionally, it exhibits notable storytelling and an emotional maturity that should be explored in future projects by the team. The character of Zaara is enduring, resilient and flawed in her own ways, precisely what makes her leave a lasting impression in the viewer’s mind. Interacting with her life further, and everywhere that her determination, or even stubbornness, takes her is indeed a prospect to look forward to for the viewer.