The Sindh High Court’s constitutional bench has struck down most of the objections raised by the censor board against the film Ghost School and directed the board to reconsider the film’s recertification within 10 days.
The court ruled that the film should be placed in the least restrictive category and unnecessary cuts should be avoided. According to the court, the censor board’s decision was not in accordance with Article 19 of the Constitution and the relevant laws.
The court said that after the Central Board of Film Censors and the Punjab censor board had approved the film, it was necessary for the Sindh censor board to provide reasons for reaching a different decision.
The court further directed that the filmmakers be given an opportunity for a personal hearing before the film is assigned a separate category. During the hearing, the filmmaker agreed to the removal of an inappropriate remark made by a child at the school.
Ghost School, written, directed and produced by British-Pakistani filmmaker Seemab Gul, has won the Best Director award at the UK Asian Film Festival.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was nominated in the Best Film category. It was subsequently screened at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah earlier this year. The film was praised by critics at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles for its “extraordinary social realism and balanced storytelling”. It also received a special award at the Asian, African and Latin American Film Festival.
The film highlights the issue of girls’ education, and its story revolves around 10-year-old Rabia, played by Nazuliah Arsalan. The central character wants to continue her education, but the local school in her village is shut down following rumours that it is haunted. Both the teacher and the village elder use this rumour as an excuse to close the school.
The film was shot in Chashma Goth, located on the outskirts of Karachi, and another village.