A lot of my post-graduation work experience has been working on documentaries in Pakistan and Kashmir. Being in a part of the world that is often misunderstood and categorized as falling into a specific stereotype, I’ve often felt it necessary to highlight the achievements and progress being made in South Asia. We live in a tumultuous and increasingly fragile world and we often lose sight of the fact that our existence is a global one. Misconceptions and our inability to put ourselves in somebody else’s shoes encourage us to create insular worlds with boundaries.

Documentary filmmaking forces us to explore the core of our humanity and directly feel somebody else’s reality, whether it’s as a filmmaker, or as part of an audience watching a documentary film. It’s impossible not to be moved by a good documentary, not to walk away with thoughts and emotions brimming in your mind. That, to me, is the most profound medium of expression, when you can compel somebody to do something powerful and positive, by showing them an alternate reality.