Doha, November 01: It has all the elements of a good political thriller – power, corruption, murder and politics. It is also the story of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benzair Bhutto.
We are talking about ‘Bhutto’, a documentary film on the life and times of the slain leader. And just because Bhutto’s family friend Mark Siegel has produced the movie, many are questioning the film’s objectivity.
Said Mark Siegel, producer of ‘Bhutto’, “There have been parts which are very critical of her, we have Fatima Bhutto, very critical and the rest of the family. We have members of Nawaz Sharif involved, I have friends in the PPP who say how could you produce a film which is so critical and then there are friends on the other side saying how could you make a film that was so for Benazir.”
‘Bhutto’ also marks US-based political consultant Duane Baughman’s directorial debut. But this documentary is not limited to just Benzair Bhutto’s life and political career, it also tries to capture the political turmoil in Pakistan.
Duane Baughman, who co-directed the film ‘Bhutto’ said, “The turning point for being able to make this movie into a reality was the willingness of the children to speak on the film and Asif Zardari, who was then a grieving husband. It’s their first and only interview in any forum that made this movie what it was. And of course finding the audiotapes, Benazir herself narrates this film from start to finish.”
The film premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival this year and is being showcased at several other film festivals.
——–Agencies