Burka Avenger Trailer

[Kristin Klodzinski]

Inthe trailer we see the avenger by day, dressed in western clothing, a teacher with long glossy locks and a cheeky smile. But then she transforms into Burka Avenger with a long black robe like a ninja, head and face covered.

This was such a powerful story of positivity for Pakistan that I was ecstatic when I first read it....

...but then I saw that the article was a little out of date and my gloomy mood returned.

Sigh. Wouldn't it have been nice if this was our CURRENT story?

Here's an excerpt of a BBC story on Burka Avenger's pre-launch promotion:

The video clips from the animated series have gone viral over social media even before any official promotional work has been done by Unicorn Black, Aaron Rashid's own production house.

The entire series has been developed in just over a year by a 22-member production team operating out of a small office in Islamabad.

Music videos are also being released featuring some of Pakistan's top musicians like Ali Azmat, Josh and Ali Zafar. T-shirts and other merchandise will also be put on sale, aiming to launch Burka Avenger as a Pakistani superhero brand.

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Aaron Rashid says the theme will not only centre around the girls' school but will also teach children about the values of tolerance, equality and other social issues in Pakistani society.

He emphasises that the central theme is non-violence, arguing that the main protagonist uses books and pens to thwart her enemies even though she hits people with them.

Is the symbolism too complex for small children to understand?

Mr Rashid disagrees.

"She's saying the pen is mightier than the sword," he insists. "She is non-violent because she's throwing books. Most people throw bombs. Think about it."

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The University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication announced on Wednesday that Pakistan's "Burka Avenger," an animated television show about a burka-clad schoolteacher who fights local thugs seeking to shut down the girls' school where she works, will receive one of the 2013 Peabody Awards (Dawn). The Urdu-language show, which airs on Geo TV, emphasizes the importance of girls' education and other lessons, such as not discriminating against others.

The awards, some of the most prestigious prizes in broadcasting, recognize "excellence and meritorious work by radio and television stations, networks, webcasters, producing organizations, and individuals" on an annual basis, and will be handed out at an awards ceremony in New York City on May 19.

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The 36-year-old filmmaker got her first break in 2001. She was offered a chance by the New York Times Television production company to make her film Terror's Children. In the film, she documented the lives of eight Afghan children that were refugees in the city of Karachi and showcased their daily struggles.

In 2012, eleven years after that first chance, Chinoy won an Oscar for her film Saving Face, which chronicles the journey of a plastic surgeon who treats acid attack victims. Her work's main focus is on human rights and gender issues. Her film Pakistan's Taliban Generation won an Emmy in 2010. Chinoy has, meanwhile, produced 12 award winning documentaries in 10 countries.

She is also the founder of The Citizens archive of Pakistan (CAP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultural and historic preservation which educates citizens about their heritage. In a DW interview, Chinoy talks about her latest project Three Braves (Teen Bahadur), an animation film for children, and the changing face of Pakistan's film industry.

DW: Tell us about your latest project Three Braves (Teen Bahadur).

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: Three Braves is a quintessentially a Pakistani story - replete with unlikely heroes, menacing villains, fumbling thugs, dark horses, and moments of triumph and bouts of despair. Based in a fictional town in Pakistan, eleven-year-old Amna, Saadi and Kamil set out to save their community from the many evils that plague it.

This film is fiction and very different from your previous line of work. What made you choose this medium?

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy Regisseurin von Three Braves/Teen Bahadur

Chinoy says Pakistani film industry stands to be "a formidable force in the near future"

I had wanted to do something for children for a long time because we, as a nation, have completely neglected this demographic. Our youth makes up the largest and, undoubtedly, the most important section of our society and now more than ever, they need local heroes to look up to.

After experimenting with many mediums, we settled on animation because its creative freedom allows us to speak to children in a way that no other medium can. I want Pakistani children from every nook and cranny to see Three Braves and be entertained and inspired. I want them to finally be able to see their reflection in movies, with superheroes that look and speak like them.

What kind of subtle messages are packed into your film Three Braves?

The great thing about animation is it offers a lot of scope for creativity and imagination. On the surface Three Braves might appear to be about superheroes and mystical creatures. But underneath that commercial cartoon value is a force that seeks to engage, empower and motivate today's youth. The film is a journey of fighting back, taking charge, and finding support and love in the most improbable of places.

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MUMBAI: A country where women are not allowed to have many rights, a change is about to happen with the coming of the Burka Avenger, the country's first cartoon superwoman who stands against crime and injustice. The cartoon series will be aired on Geo Tez in Urdu and is produced by Unicorn Black that is owned by Pakistan's biggest pop star Haroon Rashid. He is the creator of the cartoon, the first animated series ever produced wholly in the country.

Burka Avenger is a mild-mannered school teacher who is fighting against thugs, who represent the Taliban, who are intent upon closing down the school where she teaches. She actually is Jiya, who also is trained in a fighting style called Takht Kabaddi, taught by her adopted father, using pens and books to attack. The character was created to send positive messages to the youth in the country.

The series will be of 13 episodes of 22 minutes each. The show will begin from 28 July on Geo Tez at 6 p.m. Pakistan time. They have created a mobile application that can be downloaded for free and are currently working on an android application. The Facebook page has already got more than 8000 likes.

The Ninja-like character wears a burka while fighting against the villains in the series. It follows the story of three kids in the imaginary city of Halwapur. The trailers are available on their website which are in Urdu and English, though it is now yet known where the English version will be aired. "Don't mess with the lady in black" goes the title track with some amazing music by artists like Ali Zafar and Ali Azmat and a good quality picture.

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