The 19th day of the 39-day “World Culture Festival 2025” featured a vibrant lineup of events, including the children’s theatre play “Hansel & Gretel”, the Asia-Pacific Shorts Showcase film screening and a soulful classical music night titled “Melodic Heritage”.
The 19th day of the festival began with the children’s theatre play “Hansel & Gretel”, written by the Brothers Grimm and directed and adapted for theatre by Uzma Sabeen. A large number of schoolchildren attended the show, filling the auditorium.
A total of five films were screened at the Asia-Pacific Shorts Showcase Film Screening; ‘The Art of Eating Sin,’ directed by Hunter Leech, a bold experimental film exploring the themes of sin and desire, ‘Gone Yet Alive,’ directed by Sereyrath Mech; a thought-provoking story centred on war and survival, ‘Pirates of Sepuluh Ribuan,’ directed by Muhammad Azhar; an adventurous and humorous tale set across remote Indonesian islands, ‘The Buraq That Can’t Fly,’ directed by Zeed M; a bilingual, imaginative story based on a mother’s dreams and ‘Coffee – The Human Journey Behind Your Coffee,’ directed by Budiyan, Rebeltech Collective, Uitv Tacode; a documentary exploring the personal stories of a coffee grower.
Finally, at night a classical music night titled “Melodic Heritage” was held, featuring performances by Portugal’s Ricardo Passos, Gul Muhammad, Rahat Inayat Ali, Yousuf Basheer, Mumtaz Sabzal, Imran Abbas, Izzat Fateh Ali Khan and Fateh Ali Khan.
The Jugalbandi of Gul Muhammad, Rahat Inayat Ali and Yousuf Basheer added remarkable charm to the evening.
Ricardo Passos captivated the audience by playing instruments from Portugal, Türkiye, Romania, Brazil and several other countries.
The performances of Mumtaz Sabzal and Imran Abbas also received loud applause from the audience. The World Culture Festival will continue at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi until December 7.