Solo

This feature documentary follows me as a performance artist and filmmaker in a lifelong self-examination that is at times endearing and funny, at times troubling and heartbreaking. I struggle against social stigma and the disapproval of my Pakistani parents as I explore my sexuality and gender identity. As family history and personal trauma interfere with my desire to find love, and as the delicate balancing act of my life seems to unravel before the lens, childhood memories take centre stage. Melding documentary footage with personal history and performance art, Solo honours the fragility of self-discovery. The film sheds new light on the necessity for art and its saving grace, and shows how personal demons must be faced as we learn to trust ourselves and others.

• Solo 54 minutes SD 2003 NFB Reel Diversity Competition winner (2001)
• Screenings & broadcast
• Inside out Toronto Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 05-2003
• Fairy Tales Calgary Film Festival 06-2003
• Image & Nation Montreal Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 09-2003
• Making Scenes Ottawa Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 10-2003
• Vancouver Asian Film Festival 11-2003
• Won honorary mention for best direction at Columbus International Film Festival 11- 2003
• Won best documentary award at Milan International Gay Lesbian Film Festival 05-2004
• Jakarta International Gay Lesbian Film Festival 12-2004
• Dawson College and Concordia University Media Arts and film studies (Queer Canadian Filmmakers)
• Currently available on Amazon Prime and on YouTube for viewing
• Press for Solo
• Press for Solo II