Seemab Gul’s feature film directorial debut “Ghost School” has been in the news for its censorship by the Sindh censor board. While it’s finally been passed with a single cut, it was originally outright banned in the province. Does this mean there’s something bold and shocking in the movie?
Well, it’s complicated.
Set in a village somewhere on the outskirts of Karachi, Ghost School is about a young girl named Rabia whose school is shutdown. Rumours abound that one of the teachers has been possessed and that the school itself is haunted. Instead of happily returning home to play like some of her friends, Rabia tries to find out when the school will reopen.
In her journey through the system that runs her village, she encounters corruption, greed, apathy, cowardice and violence. However, she keeps on moving with the courage of her convictions. And there lies the faint glimmer of hope that things might change.
It’s a great concept on paper, but unfortunately Seemab Gul’s craft doesn’t really do the message or the art justice.
The Good Stuff
Let’s get to the good stuff first. Nazualiya Arsalan as Rabia, the protagonist of the film is really good. She plays an earnest child trying to make her way through the corrupt system of Sindh’s feudal society very well. While she’s obviously rough around the edges, she has the talent that can be polished into a gem.
Other well executed performances include Adnan Shah Tipu as the ghost school’s principal and landowner, and Vajdaan Shah (Sindhu Ji Goonj) as a horse cart driver. Seemab Gul herself stars as the wife of a government officer.
There are also some incredible shots in the film that show off the rugged landscapes of Sindh. I must also commend Seemab Gul for the sound of this film. It’s clear, crisp, and there’s not a single instance of poor dubbing in sight. The fact that a debut director who has self financed her own film from the production to the distribution can do a better job at this than seasoned filmmakers in Pakistan is a mark of shame for the film industry in general.
However, all this is paper over the cracks within the screenplay and story of Ghost School.
The Faults
Seemab Gul’s screenplay suffers from very basic mistakes. In the film, people are expected to believe that the school being shutdown is haunted. While the film makes it obvious that this is nonsense, the fact that so many characters in the film believe that it is true is ludicrous.
There are tens of thousands of ghost schools in Sindh, but the term means a school that only exists on paper, and doesn’t actually function. Nowhere in Sindh do people believe that these schools are actually haunted.
And yet, it’s the central premise of the film. It is brought up over and over again, and men, women, children, and the elderly all believe it. What’s more, they tell similar stories they’ve heard about schools and hospitals near their homes.
I realize that it’s meant to hammer home the point that Sindh is suffering from a crisis of education and health and other basic institutions. However, the way it’s done is a detriment to that very message.
The film addresses the fact that Sindh’s feudal lords, bureaucrats, and politicians are responsible for the province’s abysmal state; there are even some curses hurled at them, but there’s not much beyond that. This is hardly something that can be considered groundbreaking or revelatory; even if its from the perspective of a child.
The film also features extremely long, still shots that are meant to pad the running time. All that did was make me check my watch. Another aspect of the film that robs it of its realism is that everyone in the village speaks clear and proper Urdu. Only a few characters in the film speak in regional accents.
There is also some ‘magical realism’ in the film that certain reviews have spoken of, but it is not present save one scene in the entire film. Even some sequences which can be labeled as ‘surreal’ have an arduous feel to them.
And there lies the film’s greatest problem. In trying to be artsy and also push a message (a very noble one), the film doesn’t really accomplish either.
Final Verdict
There’s not much one can say about Ghost School to sing its praises or point out its flaws. The effort and concept behind it are apparent. However, the execution is nothing but middling. I wish it were a better film, but it is not.
