Kalashnikov, an 18-minute short film, is causing a stir after being selected for the Cannes Film Festival. Mehroz Amin, the mind behind the screenplay and direction, spoke with us about what Kalashnikov is all about.

Mehroz Amin wrote the screenplay and directed the short film, as previously stated. The cast includes Hamza Ghuyyur (who also wrote the dialogue for the film) as well as Afifa Shaikh, Nadir Sultan, and Mian Ayyaz. The film was produced by an independent production company called Chal Phir Cinema.

The film is an 18-minute one-take shot that follows the stories of a young boy selling eggs in the middle of the night, a woman rehearsing on a street corner, and a washed-up actor giving an interview, reminiscing the golden era of Punjabi films – the 1980s.

Mehroz Amin tells Galaxy Lollywood about his journey to Cannes: “It’s a big struggle to make an independent film in Pakistan, and the biggest struggle is the financial aid.”

Mehroz explains how he has always wanted to make his family and country proud, and how Cannes is every filmmaker’s dream destination. However, there were financial constraints that had to be met. Furthermore, due to the length of the film, participation in the primary competition became difficult. The short film corner saved the day, and the film was eventually submitted there.

“I didn’t have the money to pay the submission fee,” Mehroz recalls, “so we, as a team, collected the money, which was around €55.”

Kalashnikov is the only Pakistani short film at Cannes this year, among nine Indian short films in the Short Film Corner. Without a doubt, this is a proud moment for Pakistan, and we would like to congratulate the entire team on their accomplishment.