What Will People Say
What Will People Say is a semi-autobiographical feature film by Pakistani-Norwegian filmmaker Iram Haq.
To be screened in Sydney as part of the 2018 Scandinavian Film Festival, the movie is a somewhat raw take on family values. Even though its got a compelling storyline, it is still nonetheless the age old mashup of East vs West.
What Will People Say tells the story of a Norwegian teen as she clashes with the traditional values of her Pakistani emigrant parents.
It is the winner of the Audience Award at the 2018 Göteborg Film Festival, and as timely a drama as it is, it somehow ends up being a documentary about women’s rights and immigrant identity, rather than a riveting take on these crucial issues. The issues it tackles are prominent and the story they tell needs to be told, but the way its told and the way the movie ends, somehow leaves a lot to be said.
★★
Reviewed by Joseph Rana
