Halimah Tariq is a documentary filmmaker and a video editor who conducts workshops for Pakistani filmmakers through ConnectHer. She will be speaking at ConnectHer film Festival 2022 November 5 in Austin

I’ve noticed that most people feel that change is something that can only be brought by someone in a position of power or influence—but that is not always the case. You can do something as simple as hear someone’s story or just share a moment with them and you wouldn’t even realize the effect it could have on their future.

Documentary filmmaking is thus, for me, a personal mission; I have always felt very strongly that you should tell the stories of people who do not have the platform to do so themselves, to elevate their voices and help draw attention to their plight.

When I met Shakila Farooq, and saw firsthand the dedication and defiance with which she worked tirelessly to give girls a life worth living I knew I had to tell her story to others.

Awaaz - A life in Silence is a story of the struggles of hearing- and speech-impaired girls in a starkly traditionalist and patriarchal society. Struck in between the double bind of deeply rooted cultural conservatism and a lack of educational opportunity, the fight to achieve a path to self-empowerment is oftentimes too overwhelming for individuals to continue fighting. The documentary is about Shakila’s work to take the step of becoming the first woman in Mardan to break this stigmatic barrier.

I had the privilege of collaborating with two incredible organizations to create this film: EAA (Education Above all) based in Qatar and working to provide equal opportunities of education to marginalized groups, and ConnectHer, an organization based in Austin, Texas that promotes stories of women and girls through film.

Awaaz recently won at the Los Angeles Film Awards (LAFA 2022), as well as the Prague Independent Film Festival. It has been shortlisted at the Atlanta Women International Film Festival and Vancouver South Asian Film Festival.

I want to provide an active global audience for their causes, inspire movement and action through cathartic retellings. Through my work one day, I hope to provide tangible and workable solutions to help alleviate the problems I find.