WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY

What Will People Say

Sixteen year-old Nisha lives a double life. At home with her family she is the perfect Pakistani daughter, but when out with her friends, she is a normal Norwegian teenager. When her father catches her in bed with her boyfriend, Nisha’s two worlds brutally collide.

Iram Haq

Norway / Germany / Sweden, 2017

Feature Film

SYNOPSIS

To set an example, Nisha’s parents decide to kidnap her and place her with relatives in Pakistan. Here, in a country she has never been to before, Nisha is forced to adapt to her parents’ culture.WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY is a moving drama about the complex relationship between a father and daughter. It is the story of a young girl who must find her own way in life.
WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY is an emotional story about love and courage, and about finding your own way. It is also a complex story about the love between parents and children, trying to understand both sides.
In the lead, 18 year old Maria Mozhdah makes her impressive acting debut. Her father is played by Adil Hussain, who has previously acted in a long line of Indian and international films like LIFE OF PI.
WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY is the second feature film by director and scriptwriter Iram Haq. Her first feature I AM YOURS (2013) had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival and won several awards at international film festivals.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT IRAM HAQ

The story of WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY is my most personal so far. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped by my parents and forced to live for one and a half years in Pakistan. I have waited until I felt ready as a filmmaker and as a person to be able to tell this story in a wise and sensible way. That is to say, without making the girl appear as just a victim and her parents as merely her perpetrators. I wanted to tell an impossible love story between parents and their child; one that cannot have a happy ending as long as the gap between these two cultures remains so wide.I want to put the audience side by side with Nisha and her emotions throughout the film. After a long casting process, we finally found the perfect actress for the part in Maria Mozhdah. It was an amazing discovery, and she was a joy to work with alongside the more experienced actors in the other parts.

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

2017: Toronto Int. Film Festival: Platform competition
2017: Nordic Film Days Lübeck Audience Award
2017: AFI Fest Audience Award
2017: Les Arcs European Film Festival Audience Award
2018: Würzburg International Film Weekend Best Feature Film
2018: Göteborg International Film Festival Audience Dragon Award Best Nordic Film Special Mention
2018: International Film Festival Fribourg Audience Award
2018: Bif&st-Bari International Film Festival Best Actress to Maria Mozhadah

CREDITS

STARRING

Maria Mozhdah
Adil Hussain
Rohit Saraf
Ekavali Khanna
Ali Arfan
Sheeba Chaddha
Lalit Parimoo
Jannat Zubair Rehmani
Isak Lie Harr
Nokokure Dahl

DIRECTOR

Iram Haq

WRITER

Iram Haq

PRODUCER

Maria Ekerhovd

CO-PRODUCERS

Karsten Stöter
Lizette Jonjic
Madeleine Ekmann
Tomas Eskilsson

COMMISSIONING EDITORS

Claudia Tronnier
Doris Hepp

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Nadim Carlsen

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Vintee Bansal
Ann-Kristin Talleraas

EDITING

Janus Billeskov Jansen
Anne Østerud

COSTUME DESIGN

Rohit Chaturvedi
Ida Toft

HAIR & MAKE-UP

Jessica Simonsson
Yasmin Rodgers

MUSIC

Lorenz Dangel
Martin Pedersen

SOUND RECORDING

Tormod Ringnes

SOUND DESIGN

Tom Korr

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Olaf Kirbach

LINE PRODUCER

Ragna Nordhus Midtgard
Catho Bach Christensen

CASTING

Anmol Ahuja
Abhishek Banerjee

SUPPORTED BY

Norsk Filminstitutt
Eurimages
Deutscher Filmförderfonds
Mitteldeutsche Filmförderung
Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
Filmförderungsanstalt
Nordmedia
Film- Und Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/Bremen
Nordisk Film
OG TV Fond
Svenska Filminstitutet
Creative Europe

PRODUCED BY

Mer Film

CO-PRODUCED BY

Rohfilm Factory
Zentropa Sweden
Film I Väst

IN COPRODUCTION WITH

ZDF / Das Kleine Fernsehspiel
ARTE

IN COLLABORATION WITH

Pandora Filmverleih
Beta Cinema