Faiz: Poet in Troubled Times - 1987

1987 Documentary

Documentary about the life and work of Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, whose career up to his death in 1984 spanned the years of the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. In spite of being banned by the Pakistan government-controlled media, she was loved by millions in Pakistan and Northern India. This film tells the story of Pakistan's people through the poetry and experience of this lyrical and radical writer.

"Organised by the Drum in partnership with the Birmingham Faiz Centenary Committee as part of the Faiz birth centenary celebrations, this moving and revealing documentary on the life and times of the Pakistani national poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, narrated by the writer and political activist Tariq Ali, has become a cult classic. Using archival and original footage including interviews with his family members, intellectuals and activists, and Faiz’s poetry itself, the film tells the story of how the writer, trade unionist and political activist used his creative endeavours to defend human rights and further the universal causes of social justice and liberty, and of his imprisonment and eventual exile."