Sun, Fire, River: Ajrak Cloth from the Soil of Sindh - 1998

Directed by Noorjehan Bilgrami

This fascinating documentary video was produced after years of research into traditional ajrak cloth making in Sindh. It attempts to express the unbreakable bond between the elements used in the production of ajrak cloth and their importance to regional life. Following the elaborate, multi-staged process of ajrak production, the film takes us through the artisan’s “dance” with the cloth in a profession marked by precision, dedication and pride. The results are sumptuous, vivid shawls that extend the motifs of balance and rhythm seen in Sufi temples.
A carefully crafted video of traditional textile making in Sindh with exquisite music from the Sufi shrine of Shah Abdul Latif. The production of ajraks, used as shawls, turbans, hammocks, baby slings, table cloths, is a multi-phased process with repeated soakings, dryings, dying and block printing. This complex procedure is seen as a metaphor for Sufism: the search for perfection.

Duration: 30:34 minutes
Assistant Director: Sana Bilgrami
ⓒ Noorjehan Bilgrami, KOEL Productions, Karachi, Pakistan, 1998
Presented here by Sahapedia with permission from Noorjehan Bilgrami, Karachi, Pakistan