In his autobiographical documentary, Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker Arshad Khan reflects on his complex relationship with his devoutly religious father. Using over 30 years of private archive material, animations, and excerpts from Bollywood films, he creates a multi-layered portrait of migration, identity, and family ties. The film explores Khan's childhood in Pakistan, his family's emigration to Canada in 1991, and his inner conflict between his homosexuality and his family's conservative values. ABU vividly depicts how his father evolved from an open-minded man into a religious fundamentalist, leading to tension and alienation. ABU premiered at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival and has been screened at over 90 international festivals, including the BFI London Film Festival, the New York Indian Film Festival, and the Reelout Queer Film Festival. The film has won 17 international awards, including the Jury Prize at the Festival du film de asie sud in Paris (2019), the Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the New York Indian Film Festival (2018), and the Audience Award at the Image+Nation Montreal LGBTQI Film Festival (2017).
Arshad Khan, a gay man from Pakistan, examines his relationship to his father, a devout Muslim, through a vast amount of home video footage.
In his autobiographical documentary, Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker Arshad Khan reflects on his complex relationship with his devoutly religious father. Using over 30 years of private archive material, animations, and excerpts from Bollywood films, he creates a multi-layered portrait of migration, identity, and family ties.
The film explores Khan's childhood in Pakistan, his family's emigration to Canada in 1991, and his inner conflict between his homosexuality and his family's conservative values. ABU vividly depicts how his father evolved from an open-minded man into a religious fundamentalist, leading to tension and alienation.
ABU premiered at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival and has been screened at over 90 international festivals, including the BFI London Film Festival, the New York Indian Film Festival, and the Reelout Queer Film Festival. The film has won 17 international awards, including the Jury Prize at the Festival du film de asie sud in Paris (2019), the Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the New York Indian Film Festival (2018), and the Audience Award at the Image+Nation Montreal LGBTQI Film Festival (2017).