Media in Pakistan have changed dramatically. This film explores public opinions about the news. Pakistan One on One, airing Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 10:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV, is trying to facilitate rapprochement by showing something that does not jibe with mainstream stereotypes.

Pakistan is constantly in the news yet we know very little about the people of Pakistan. This short documentary tries to bridge that gap by answering the question: what does the man or the woman on the streets of Lahore think about America. Shot entirely in Lahore, Pakistan One on One is a broad survey of public opinion about issues of interest to Americans such as the possibility of democracy in Pakistan, the War on Terror, the Taliban and American foreign policy in the region.

Quote from Mara Ahmed:

“PAKISTAN ONE ON ONE was an impromptu project. I went to Lahore to shoot another film. The media in Pakistan have changed so dramatically that I felt compelled to explore public opinions about the news. Also, when I screened my first documentary, “The Muslims I Know” (which is based on interviews with Pakistani Americans mostly), audiences were always eager to know what people in Pakistan thought. This film fulfills that need for dialogue. I am fascinated by people’s views about the “other” and I’m always trying to facilitate some rapprochement by showing something surprising or incongruent because it does not jibe with mainstream stereotypes. Hopefully this is what this film accomplishes.”

Mara Ahmed, Director and Producer, March 8, 2011

More information on the WXXI Website.