... burst a blood vessel, up the heart rate, wind the moral compass spring to its limit; to blow-a-fuse, to frustrate and anger and despair and to hope, to hope, that the story makes a difference to anyone/someone having their basic human rights removed - no matter who or what or where they are and regardless of who's controlling them, to have hope that it can and will change and get better and to know that they are not alone.
71 Reviews
Not all Horrors stories involve Ghosts !!
madhukar3026 August 2020
"Hva vil folk si" follows the story of a young Norwegian-Pakistani woman Nisa and the horrors that she faces in the hands of her family in the name of culture. These are one among thousands of horror stories that happen to people of the developing world. Though the developed countries have matured culturally, the developing world is far behind and still treat grown up children like property.
Director Iram Haq gives life to her own ordeal and the horrors that she faced as a young woman. Ably supported by her lead actor Maria Mozhdah, who in a tremendous performance will steal our hearts and sympathies equally. Brilliant cinematography and editing are a plus factors to this low budgeted film. Supporting actors too have done a decent job. Sync sound is used to great effect to kindle our emotions.
It is a must watch movie for the developed world, just to understand how culturally different they are from the rest. I believe that Religious Parents in the developing world wouldn't give a hoot to the contents in Hva vil folk si but liberal parents can learn a thing or two. One should take care of their children till they are about 12, Only guide them and support them as teenagers, at 18 they should be able to decide for themselves. The children have come to live their lives in this world not ours.
Director Iram Haq gives life to her own ordeal and the horrors that she faced as a young woman. Ably supported by her lead actor Maria Mozhdah, who in a tremendous performance will steal our hearts and sympathies equally. Brilliant cinematography and editing are a plus factors to this low budgeted film. Supporting actors too have done a decent job. Sync sound is used to great effect to kindle our emotions.
It is a must watch movie for the developed world, just to understand how culturally different they are from the rest. I believe that Religious Parents in the developing world wouldn't give a hoot to the contents in Hva vil folk si but liberal parents can learn a thing or two. One should take care of their children till they are about 12, Only guide them and support them as teenagers, at 18 they should be able to decide for themselves. The children have come to live their lives in this world not ours.
very good movie and maria's performance is superb
yamahapic22 December 2018
Very good movie, all actors are very good, the performance of Maria is superb,you can feel her feelings even when she is silent..the movie shows the problem a girl faces because of two different cultures, this clash of cultures is not only a problem of pakistan but it is a reality all around the world
A masterpiece.
adityakripalani3 November 2018
The claustrophobia one feels during this film is almost unparalleled. You feel what this Pakistani girl in Norway feels. The filmmaker is in complete control of the craft and knows each frame she wants to use. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is over the top. From sub characters to main characters everyone has done a pitch perfect job. Adil Hussain's last look at us is haunting. And the young girl who's the protagonist is absolutely lovely. What a film. A feminist masterpiece. Kudos to the team.
A modern day horror tale
kannan_here29 April 2019
'What will people say' isn't any easy movie. It'll make you fall in love with Nisha, root for her, enjoy life with her and when all her freedom is curtailed you will cry for her, feel disturbed , haunted and by the end of the movie , like Nisha ,you too will crave for her freedom, wish to be broken from the shackles that her parents have imposed on her, pray to run away as far as possible and to live life to the fullest . Maria Mozhdah as Nisha perfectly embodies the life of thousands of girls in India and Pakistan who are forced to play along the whims and fancies of their parents. Their voices are muted, actions are restricted and in the end they become mere puppets in the hands of their parent who live the way the society wants them to. When Mirza tells Nisha " you mean everything to me" his everything matters less than his society's opinions. He is happy to lock up his daughter,mentally abuse her and take away her freedom if that is what the society wants. It isn't Nisha but 'what will people say' that means everything to him.
This Norwegian piece of art is a must watch for its raw emotions, gripping story line and gorgeous frames. The movie will stay deep with you, haunt you and in the end remind you of how far ahead we are of freedom.
This Norwegian piece of art is a must watch for its raw emotions, gripping story line and gorgeous frames. The movie will stay deep with you, haunt you and in the end remind you of how far ahead we are of freedom.
A Tense & Moving Tale About Women's Rights, Cultural Clashes & Familial Duties
CinemaClown28 November 2018
Tragic, heartbreaking & a tad too relatable, What Will People Say packs a premise that will strike a much deeper chord with desi audience, for the depicted culture & way of life in this story mirrors that of our own, especially the part where women are expected to prioritise family image over own choices and live as per societal expectations.
The story follows a young Pakistani teenager in Norway who tries to balance the cultures of both countries as best as she could. Her life turns upside down when her father catches her with a boy in her room and, in order to set an example & escape the judgment of their peers, send her to a small Pakistani town to live with their extended relatives.
Written & directed by Iram Haq, the story handles its provocative subject matter with honesty as Haq leaves no stone unturned to illustrate the age-old beliefs & customs that families in these demographics still adhere to but Haq shows these absurd social restraints as they are instead of condemning them outright due to which the plot as a whole doesn't pack a strong enough punch.
However, the real highlight of this picture is Maria Mozhdah whose emotionally resonant performance makes her a sublime discovery. Her rendition is so genuine, her character arc is so lifelike and her expressions are so spot-on that we are on board with her from the start and could relate to what she's feeling at any given time. The rest chip in with good support but it is Mozhdah who steals the show.
On an overall scale, What Will People Say is a tense, absorbing & moving story about women's rights, cultural clashes & familial duties that presents Iram Haq taking a leaflet out of her own life to deliver a semi-autobiographical account that's sensibly directed, finely scripted & brilliantly acted. Led by an astounding debut performance, this Norwegian drama with desi roots is one of the better films of the year and comes strongly recommended.
The story follows a young Pakistani teenager in Norway who tries to balance the cultures of both countries as best as she could. Her life turns upside down when her father catches her with a boy in her room and, in order to set an example & escape the judgment of their peers, send her to a small Pakistani town to live with their extended relatives.
Written & directed by Iram Haq, the story handles its provocative subject matter with honesty as Haq leaves no stone unturned to illustrate the age-old beliefs & customs that families in these demographics still adhere to but Haq shows these absurd social restraints as they are instead of condemning them outright due to which the plot as a whole doesn't pack a strong enough punch.
However, the real highlight of this picture is Maria Mozhdah whose emotionally resonant performance makes her a sublime discovery. Her rendition is so genuine, her character arc is so lifelike and her expressions are so spot-on that we are on board with her from the start and could relate to what she's feeling at any given time. The rest chip in with good support but it is Mozhdah who steals the show.
On an overall scale, What Will People Say is a tense, absorbing & moving story about women's rights, cultural clashes & familial duties that presents Iram Haq taking a leaflet out of her own life to deliver a semi-autobiographical account that's sensibly directed, finely scripted & brilliantly acted. Led by an astounding debut performance, this Norwegian drama with desi roots is one of the better films of the year and comes strongly recommended.
Great Visual Literature
nikitakhare-9321517 November 2018
In case you plan to watch this movie, be ready to be emotional. It succeeds in expressing the feelings of a teenager who is forcefully abandoned in an unknown nation to never known relatives. The freedom of the teenager is denied in the name of religion, but the question is " Does the religion asks us to be bonded"? Anyways the story explains beautifully how some parents become devils in a child's life and the ultimate goal of a women should be marrying and serving her family.
Keeps on oscillating in between 'the exaggerated' and 'the harsh truth'
danialriaz26 December 2018
I enjoyed watching this film. It is encouraging to see someone making a film depicting the social issues of this part of the world rather than following the standard Bollywood romcom framework. Such films really highlight the patriarchal and literally "what-will-people-say-focused" society, which is an unfortunate truth of Pakistan.
The narrative was captivating right from the beginning but on many occassions, I felt, it was cushioned with the the obvious. It would not be harsh to say that if I were to pick up all the stereotypes about Pakistan and try and fit them in one tiny bag, I would cover a big chunk of this film. It would have been far more interesting to pick a handful of these stereotypes and play around with the nuances of the situation.
The same point can be made about the characters. It is too obvious to pick the good guys and the bad guys here. Good being the Nisha and the Norwegian child support team and the bad.. well you know.. It is a lot more challenging to create more complex characters, each of whom can be relatable for the audience, given their circumstances.
On the whole, though this film doesn't have a very intricately build storyline, it will give something to remember to the viewer.
The narrative was captivating right from the beginning but on many occassions, I felt, it was cushioned with the the obvious. It would not be harsh to say that if I were to pick up all the stereotypes about Pakistan and try and fit them in one tiny bag, I would cover a big chunk of this film. It would have been far more interesting to pick a handful of these stereotypes and play around with the nuances of the situation.
The same point can be made about the characters. It is too obvious to pick the good guys and the bad guys here. Good being the Nisha and the Norwegian child support team and the bad.. well you know.. It is a lot more challenging to create more complex characters, each of whom can be relatable for the audience, given their circumstances.
On the whole, though this film doesn't have a very intricately build storyline, it will give something to remember to the viewer.
Thrilling Father and Daughter Fracas
Blue-Grotto31 October 2017
"You mean everything to me," Mirza tells his teenage daughter Nisha. Apparently "everything" is far less important than what others might say, for Mirza cares deeply about such opinions. When it is discovered that Nisha sneaks out the window at night, adopts Western ways and is not the compliant and traditional Pakistani daughter she appears, Mirza goes ballistic. Nisha is as stubborn as her father though and manages to outsmart him at first, but there is little sympathy from other relatives. They encourage Mirza's firm hand. Nisha's smart phone is chucked into the snow, freedoms are drastically curtailed and Nisha is threatened with a one-way ticket to Islamabad. Sooner or later father or daughter, or both, must break.
I thought I knew where this film was going, but it went deeper than I thought it would and in different directions. The story is fantastic and thrilling; dead ends become glimmers of light (and the other way around), characters are torn apart by the choices they make and there are intriguing glimpses into the Norse and Pakistani ways of life. The director is a natural. She controls mood like a sorceress; sound is contrasted with silence, close-ups reveal the glimmer of flames in the eyes of characters and scenes flow seamlessly into each other. The acting is not flawless, but thoroughly convincing. The ending scene will stay with me, hopefully forever. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.
I thought I knew where this film was going, but it went deeper than I thought it would and in different directions. The story is fantastic and thrilling; dead ends become glimmers of light (and the other way around), characters are torn apart by the choices they make and there are intriguing glimpses into the Norse and Pakistani ways of life. The director is a natural. She controls mood like a sorceress; sound is contrasted with silence, close-ups reveal the glimmer of flames in the eyes of characters and scenes flow seamlessly into each other. The acting is not flawless, but thoroughly convincing. The ending scene will stay with me, hopefully forever. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.
A view of Indian/Pakistani Culture.
Amyth4716 February 2019
My Rating : 6/10
Some viewers find the movie exaggerated and perhaps not real but I think the movie does a good job in exploring the relationship between immigrant parents and their children who have assimilated in the Western culture and don't have the same belief system as their parents.
All of the cliches shown are indeed the exact thought processes of immigrant parents unfortunately. An underrated film, put together with care and an eye for detail and depth.
Some viewers find the movie exaggerated and perhaps not real but I think the movie does a good job in exploring the relationship between immigrant parents and their children who have assimilated in the Western culture and don't have the same belief system as their parents.
All of the cliches shown are indeed the exact thought processes of immigrant parents unfortunately. An underrated film, put together with care and an eye for detail and depth.
A truthful betrayal of the cost women have to pay for honour in Pakistan
me_sweety21 December 2018
Some Pakistanis would vociferously scream that the portrayal of Pakistani culture and norms is blatantly exaggerated here. Well, let me tell you. It isnt. Pakistani parents, including those who live abroad are willing to sacrifice and kill their daughters if there need be for the sake of their honour. The typical middle class man's obsession with his daughters chastity is certainly not exaggerated. The film beautifully captures the diaspora, the claustrophobia and the contradictory nature of Nisha's life. The last scene in which her fathers reflection stares at us is brilliant.
But some things are sure exaggerated. I donot know if those stem out of ignorance or a desire to appease the "white audience" with their saviour complex. I do not know if they tried to portray Islamabad or Quetta in the movie-if it was Islamabad then it was obviously very wrongly portrayed. It is a fully developed urban city with internet connection. Same with Quetta. One does not need to run to far off stores in search of internet! Also who in their right minds would make out in a street in Pakistan unless you live in Defence or something? I mean maybe the police can react the way they did in the movie but thats rare and pertaining to the special circumstance that both the people are very young and from a familiar area. I can understand this because I am a Pakistani but one might make a lot of assumptions if they arent. Moreover, everything that Nisha went through was very very traumatic. Her grief and sanity still seems pretty intact for someone who went through a lifetime of trauma. Still very willing to please her parents. Or maybe thats my peronal opinion.
All that aside, donot sit without grabbing a tissue paper because this is a highly unsettling movie.
Exagaration
sohrab_mar13 February 2019
I am from middle east ( Iran ) and understand the seriousness of unallowed sexual behaviour, but , I still think there is exagaration on the level of violance and cruelty against a little girl ... while family might be harsh with girls, at the same time, they highly support and guard their honor (specially female members of the family , mother , sister ...). Unlesse people from Pakistan confirm that the story can be true in Pakistan only !!
When the plot is forced, credibility is lost
carol-788565 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILS ALERT! Actions in the film are discussed in the review. I kindly invite you to watch the film before reading the article.
DISCLAIMER: I dont have a background on cinema, nor I have lived in Pakistan or know in deep the Pakistani culture. I do not know to what extend is true what the film shows about the Pakistani traditions. My criticisms below refer solely to the way in which the story is developed in the film. Please feel free to comment, correct or elaborate on my thoughts. Discussions are more than welcomed. Also, I am not a native english speaker so please forgive the linguistic mistakes in the text.
"What will people say" starts with Nisha in party clothes and make up, racing breathlessly to her home in the dark, while her father is switching off lights and inspecting room by room that her siblings are all right in bed. Nisha arrives just in time to climb up the windows of her room, sneak behind the glass and jump into the mattress before his father steps inside the room and observes with a tender smile at his oldest daughter sleeping. It is a dynamic start in which the two conflicting mobiles of the story are well introduced: 1) Nisha belongs, at least in part, to the western culture and 2) his father loves and cares about her and her siblings. However, the hook of this strong beginning is soon lost by a development of a story in which actions are forced into a unique direction and the behaviour and choices of the characters contradicts the way they are introduced in the film.
First incoherence: Nisha is not being rise in the heart of a strictly traditional family. It is true that she has a double life. Behind her parents watch she is a "western" teenager, partying with her friends, smoking weed, flirting with guys. In the intimacy of her family however she is a calm, studious daughter. Nevertheless, nothing indicates that she is growing in a repressive environment. For instance, there is the scene of his father birthday. The father plays his favourite song and starts dancing with Nisha, her mother and her brother. When the party is over the mother complains to the father that it is shameful for women to dance in front of men, even if they are close relatives. The father is rather chill about the complaint and Nisha even states that it is stupid that family cannot dance together. No one blinks at the harsh words of Nisha, not even the classical "watch your mouth you child and respect your elders" kind of comment that -by the way- you would get in western families. In another scene Nisha arrives home. Her mum is doing the chores in the kitchen, her dad and brother are taking care of the accountability of the little store the family owns. The mother tells Nisha to help her, but Nisha refuses stating that she is exhausted and just like that sits at the table, texting in the phone. No one even questions the fact that everyone is working, with the chores or the business, while Nisha is just resting as she pleases. Later in the film we get to know that Nisha doesn't know how to cook and that she does not pray. How is that having such a traditionally minded parents as the ones the film depicts later we are presented to a 16 years' old that doesn't pray, doesn't cook, doesn't help in the house, and literally call stupid to the Pakistani traditions?
Second incoherence: Nisha knows very well where to draw the limits between home and her "western" life. For instance, in one scene we see Nisha playing basketball with her friends. She receives a call from her mum, looks at the time in the phone and with full resolution abandons the game and takes the way home. In another occasion she is coming back to her neighbourhood and her Norwegian love interest -they were never a couple as it is suggested in other reviews- starts walking next to her while engaging in a conversation. In a moment, Nisha sees a woman with a Muslim headscarf in the other street, coming towards them. She immediately interrupts the conversation with the boy and hurry up home. But for me, the key scene is the one in which Nisha is sitting at the table next to her father and her brother, who are doing the store accountability. Nisha is texting continuously in the phone. Her father realises and stares at her suspiciously. Just with one look back at her father Nisha understands he is suspicious about her texting. She quickly asks him to do a math calculation. The father is first confused, then Nisha lies and tell him that a friend of her is texting her, asking about maths. Nisha hides very well her other life, she is smart, and she knows how to fool her family. How is then possible that she ends up sneaking a boy into her room, in the middle of the night, right next to her parents' bed? She is not naïve, she is not stupid, she knows how to play the game and she knows there are parks, toilets, the house of the boy or anywhere else where they could go and have some privacy.
But no, she decides to bring the guy home and the obvious happen, they get discovered by the father. The father thinks they had sex and became blind in rave. And here comes the third incoherence in the film, to my view a big flaw in the argument: the immigrant father beats the underage native Norwegian to the point that the neighbours call the police. However not apparent consequences derive from his actions. WHAT?!!!! No way you beat an underage in Europe and you are not sent to prison, or at least face court. You would even risk the custody of your own children. No way an immigrant beats a native and it is not appearing all over the media the next day. The beating of the boy would have had huge consequences for Nisha's father, but no, in this film all the suffering is just canalized to the daughter.
And this bring us to the four incoherence, flaw or forced development in the movie: Nisha is kidnapped by her parents and sent to Pakistan because she is thought to have had sex with the boy and thereby she dishonoured herself and her family. After the incident with the boy occurred, Nisha ends up in the hands of social workers. These social workers are responsible of mediating between Nisha and the family, but specially they provide support to Nisha. All right, does any of the social workers thought about having a doctor examining the Imen of Nisha? It is true that we do not know whether Nisha has had sex or not before her Norwegian love interest. However, at least I will ask her the question. If she is still virgin it is really easy to show that her Imen is intact. She didn't have sex with the boy outside marriage, she didn't commit the huge dishonour she is being blame for. Still I agree that the family could have sent her to Pakistan, thinking that in any case kissing was already scandalous. However, as I discussed above, the family is not presented as a hardcore traditional one that will just risk "the better future in Norway for their children" they father said he wanted because of kissing.
But all right, we the audience accept that no one though about doing a medical examination of Nisha. The parents are more traditional than first depicted and Nisha is sent to Pakistan. There, we experience the fifth forced action in the movie: Nisha made out with her cousin, in the middle of the street in the night in Pakistan. They are discovered by the police. In a highly violent scene the police force the youngsters to get naked and pretend they are having sex. They take pictures, blackmail the family and get a chunk of money in exchange of their silence. Really? Is this whole scene likely to happen? Nisha was sent to Pakistan in the first place because she was discovered getting intimate with a male. Will she really risk the consequences of being discovered in the same situation a second time? Also, the movie leaves clear that Nisha is heavily westernized. If you are from the modern western culture the idea of having sex with a first cousin -a close relative- is considered gross. That for her would have already been a cultural barrier, regardless of how handsome -he is dammed handsome-is the cousin. But fine, she couldn't resist the charm of his cousin and she didn't mind the family bond. The cousin has spent all his life in Pakistan, she has spent 8 months. If you live in a place where the police are so corrupt and unpunished that they can do what they did to them for sure you know, for sure you have listened to stories or witnessed episodes of police violence against innocent people. Really you have never seen the police patrolling at night? It never crossed your mind what they could do to you if they catch you having sex in public in a traditional village?
The consequences of this second episode are the worst for Nisha. The cousin's parents refuse he marries her. She is almost assassinated by her father because of her "dishonourable" behaviour. At last she is brought back to Norway, where she commits to bend to the Pakistani norms and to regain the trust of her family. The ending of the film precipitates when Nisha is set up into an arrange marriage in Canada. The broom, a Pakistani doctor, doesn't want his future wife to study. She just needs to take care of the house and the children. Of course, Nisha ends up doing the only possible thing in her situation: she runs away from home. The last scene is Nisha disappearing into the street while her father looks at her through the windows.
I went to watch the film with high expectations. The trailer looked appealing and the first scenes promising. However, I soon felt disappointed. The film does not show the conflict between two different cultures, but the contrast between a western one which represents freedom and a middle east one which represents brutality and repression against women. Black and white, full stop. There is not thinking diversity in the Pakistanis in the film and the only image we have from Pakistan is the one of an isolated country enclosed in tradition.
DISCLAIMER: I dont have a background on cinema, nor I have lived in Pakistan or know in deep the Pakistani culture. I do not know to what extend is true what the film shows about the Pakistani traditions. My criticisms below refer solely to the way in which the story is developed in the film. Please feel free to comment, correct or elaborate on my thoughts. Discussions are more than welcomed. Also, I am not a native english speaker so please forgive the linguistic mistakes in the text.
"What will people say" starts with Nisha in party clothes and make up, racing breathlessly to her home in the dark, while her father is switching off lights and inspecting room by room that her siblings are all right in bed. Nisha arrives just in time to climb up the windows of her room, sneak behind the glass and jump into the mattress before his father steps inside the room and observes with a tender smile at his oldest daughter sleeping. It is a dynamic start in which the two conflicting mobiles of the story are well introduced: 1) Nisha belongs, at least in part, to the western culture and 2) his father loves and cares about her and her siblings. However, the hook of this strong beginning is soon lost by a development of a story in which actions are forced into a unique direction and the behaviour and choices of the characters contradicts the way they are introduced in the film.
First incoherence: Nisha is not being rise in the heart of a strictly traditional family. It is true that she has a double life. Behind her parents watch she is a "western" teenager, partying with her friends, smoking weed, flirting with guys. In the intimacy of her family however she is a calm, studious daughter. Nevertheless, nothing indicates that she is growing in a repressive environment. For instance, there is the scene of his father birthday. The father plays his favourite song and starts dancing with Nisha, her mother and her brother. When the party is over the mother complains to the father that it is shameful for women to dance in front of men, even if they are close relatives. The father is rather chill about the complaint and Nisha even states that it is stupid that family cannot dance together. No one blinks at the harsh words of Nisha, not even the classical "watch your mouth you child and respect your elders" kind of comment that -by the way- you would get in western families. In another scene Nisha arrives home. Her mum is doing the chores in the kitchen, her dad and brother are taking care of the accountability of the little store the family owns. The mother tells Nisha to help her, but Nisha refuses stating that she is exhausted and just like that sits at the table, texting in the phone. No one even questions the fact that everyone is working, with the chores or the business, while Nisha is just resting as she pleases. Later in the film we get to know that Nisha doesn't know how to cook and that she does not pray. How is that having such a traditionally minded parents as the ones the film depicts later we are presented to a 16 years' old that doesn't pray, doesn't cook, doesn't help in the house, and literally call stupid to the Pakistani traditions?
Second incoherence: Nisha knows very well where to draw the limits between home and her "western" life. For instance, in one scene we see Nisha playing basketball with her friends. She receives a call from her mum, looks at the time in the phone and with full resolution abandons the game and takes the way home. In another occasion she is coming back to her neighbourhood and her Norwegian love interest -they were never a couple as it is suggested in other reviews- starts walking next to her while engaging in a conversation. In a moment, Nisha sees a woman with a Muslim headscarf in the other street, coming towards them. She immediately interrupts the conversation with the boy and hurry up home. But for me, the key scene is the one in which Nisha is sitting at the table next to her father and her brother, who are doing the store accountability. Nisha is texting continuously in the phone. Her father realises and stares at her suspiciously. Just with one look back at her father Nisha understands he is suspicious about her texting. She quickly asks him to do a math calculation. The father is first confused, then Nisha lies and tell him that a friend of her is texting her, asking about maths. Nisha hides very well her other life, she is smart, and she knows how to fool her family. How is then possible that she ends up sneaking a boy into her room, in the middle of the night, right next to her parents' bed? She is not naïve, she is not stupid, she knows how to play the game and she knows there are parks, toilets, the house of the boy or anywhere else where they could go and have some privacy.
But no, she decides to bring the guy home and the obvious happen, they get discovered by the father. The father thinks they had sex and became blind in rave. And here comes the third incoherence in the film, to my view a big flaw in the argument: the immigrant father beats the underage native Norwegian to the point that the neighbours call the police. However not apparent consequences derive from his actions. WHAT?!!!! No way you beat an underage in Europe and you are not sent to prison, or at least face court. You would even risk the custody of your own children. No way an immigrant beats a native and it is not appearing all over the media the next day. The beating of the boy would have had huge consequences for Nisha's father, but no, in this film all the suffering is just canalized to the daughter.
And this bring us to the four incoherence, flaw or forced development in the movie: Nisha is kidnapped by her parents and sent to Pakistan because she is thought to have had sex with the boy and thereby she dishonoured herself and her family. After the incident with the boy occurred, Nisha ends up in the hands of social workers. These social workers are responsible of mediating between Nisha and the family, but specially they provide support to Nisha. All right, does any of the social workers thought about having a doctor examining the Imen of Nisha? It is true that we do not know whether Nisha has had sex or not before her Norwegian love interest. However, at least I will ask her the question. If she is still virgin it is really easy to show that her Imen is intact. She didn't have sex with the boy outside marriage, she didn't commit the huge dishonour she is being blame for. Still I agree that the family could have sent her to Pakistan, thinking that in any case kissing was already scandalous. However, as I discussed above, the family is not presented as a hardcore traditional one that will just risk "the better future in Norway for their children" they father said he wanted because of kissing.
But all right, we the audience accept that no one though about doing a medical examination of Nisha. The parents are more traditional than first depicted and Nisha is sent to Pakistan. There, we experience the fifth forced action in the movie: Nisha made out with her cousin, in the middle of the street in the night in Pakistan. They are discovered by the police. In a highly violent scene the police force the youngsters to get naked and pretend they are having sex. They take pictures, blackmail the family and get a chunk of money in exchange of their silence. Really? Is this whole scene likely to happen? Nisha was sent to Pakistan in the first place because she was discovered getting intimate with a male. Will she really risk the consequences of being discovered in the same situation a second time? Also, the movie leaves clear that Nisha is heavily westernized. If you are from the modern western culture the idea of having sex with a first cousin -a close relative- is considered gross. That for her would have already been a cultural barrier, regardless of how handsome -he is dammed handsome-is the cousin. But fine, she couldn't resist the charm of his cousin and she didn't mind the family bond. The cousin has spent all his life in Pakistan, she has spent 8 months. If you live in a place where the police are so corrupt and unpunished that they can do what they did to them for sure you know, for sure you have listened to stories or witnessed episodes of police violence against innocent people. Really you have never seen the police patrolling at night? It never crossed your mind what they could do to you if they catch you having sex in public in a traditional village?
The consequences of this second episode are the worst for Nisha. The cousin's parents refuse he marries her. She is almost assassinated by her father because of her "dishonourable" behaviour. At last she is brought back to Norway, where she commits to bend to the Pakistani norms and to regain the trust of her family. The ending of the film precipitates when Nisha is set up into an arrange marriage in Canada. The broom, a Pakistani doctor, doesn't want his future wife to study. She just needs to take care of the house and the children. Of course, Nisha ends up doing the only possible thing in her situation: she runs away from home. The last scene is Nisha disappearing into the street while her father looks at her through the windows.
I went to watch the film with high expectations. The trailer looked appealing and the first scenes promising. However, I soon felt disappointed. The film does not show the conflict between two different cultures, but the contrast between a western one which represents freedom and a middle east one which represents brutality and repression against women. Black and white, full stop. There is not thinking diversity in the Pakistanis in the film and the only image we have from Pakistan is the one of an isolated country enclosed in tradition.
A moving experience !
santoshfrgt109 October 2017
I had the chance of seeing this movie screening in Bergen, Norway in Bergen International Film Festival, on 2nd Oct 2017. I had seen the trailer before and went with a bit of expectation. The movie exceeded my expectations with much difference. The debutante Mariah Mozdah is phenomenal portraying the daughter of a Pakistani family settled in Norway. She is torn apart between to cultures, the socially progressive Norway life and also her traditional family at home. Adil Hussain portrays the role of a doting father who values the societal norms and acceptance of his community very much. All of his thoughts comes under fire when he finds his daughter's white boyfriend. He decides to send his daughter to Pakistan, to his relatives, to discipline her and teach her their culture. Both Mariah and Adil have invested a lot of efforts into their performance. And the direction by Iram Haq really forces us to question and protest all the societal norms that we fear and surrender ourselves to knowingly and unknowingly. A must watch.
Absolutely fantastic, a masterpiece auteur film
lorenzopedone2 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
It is a fantastic director's original film! The story is very beautiful and very engaging. It treats an actual problem connected with a sort of cultural "backwardness" of Pakistani and in general Asian cultures. It is strange to say that I've seen the film in Italy at the Bifest (Bari International Film Festival), and in the same days a young girl was murdered in Pakistan by his father and his brother because she had refused his arranged marriage.
Women for Islam : third class citizens
foskla18 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
It makes my blood pressure hit the roof every time. Because Women are superb and much better than men.
They are strong we are courageous powerful and only the fact that they create new life says it all. That is why men are trying to.degrade women To keep women silent scared uneducated weak so they can manipulate them. East west south north everywhere women are still.somehow submissive but in these.medieval countries where they "rape" women in every way daily in the name of a religion is outrageous.
Islam is despicable having turned a religion into a strict way of life. Daily brainwashing by praying.
Hello !! We pray when we need to not to brain wash ourselves! Praying should be a need from inside the soul. Not from a male voice through a speaker.
Hypocrites!
The girl acting this role performs amazingly. I'm happy for the ending but not all stories have a happy end. I wish this paranoia will end one day. Women have equal rights in freedom and sex as men do.
What will the world say? We don't care!
The world is never there when a girl or a woman is crying or hurt or needs a helping hand.. Thinking is difficult. That's why people judge.
They are strong we are courageous powerful and only the fact that they create new life says it all. That is why men are trying to.degrade women To keep women silent scared uneducated weak so they can manipulate them. East west south north everywhere women are still.somehow submissive but in these.medieval countries where they "rape" women in every way daily in the name of a religion is outrageous.
Islam is despicable having turned a religion into a strict way of life. Daily brainwashing by praying.
Hello !! We pray when we need to not to brain wash ourselves! Praying should be a need from inside the soul. Not from a male voice through a speaker.
Hypocrites!
The girl acting this role performs amazingly. I'm happy for the ending but not all stories have a happy end. I wish this paranoia will end one day. Women have equal rights in freedom and sex as men do.
What will the world say? We don't care!
The world is never there when a girl or a woman is crying or hurt or needs a helping hand.. Thinking is difficult. That's why people judge.
This movie is so damn accurate
tausifdewanyarchowdhury11 August 2021
A lot of non asian people think this is outrageous which it is but millions of kids are still kept this way, millions of kids in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan including me suffer from a lot of abuse and do you all know what's the sad part this girls parents would be counted as the good ones some like mind would've beheaded me and gotten away with it... went of topic there but in short this is more of a documentary than a film and maybe labeled as "boring"
Thanks for reading my review have a good day.
Thanks for reading my review have a good day.
Some culture clashes are not funny
Red-1257 February 2019
The Norwegian film Hva vil folk si (2017) was shown in the United States with the title "What will people say." It was written and directed by the Norwegian-Pakistani director Iram Haq.
Maria Mozhdah plays Nisha. She's a teenager who has grown up in Norway. She lives with her parents and her older brother. Nisha clearly is integrated into her Scandinavian culture, but the rest of her family is not.
They appear to have no interest in Norway or Norwegians. Everything for them revolves around the other members of the Pakistani community. "What will people say" is the most important question for them.
Because Nisha doesn't conform, she is punished severely. It's amazing that this narrative film is actually based on events that happened to director Iram Haq.
In Bend it like Beckham, we have a comedy based on cultural clashes within an Indian family in England. This movie isn't like that. Cultural obedience becomes a literal matter of life and death.
Hva vil folk si is a grim, powerful film. Maria Mozhdah is a superb actor and she makes Nisha come to life. The movie wouldn't work with a less talented actor as the protagonist.
We saw this film at Rochester's outstanding Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum. It will work well enough on the small screen. I highly recommend it.
Maria Mozhdah plays Nisha. She's a teenager who has grown up in Norway. She lives with her parents and her older brother. Nisha clearly is integrated into her Scandinavian culture, but the rest of her family is not.
They appear to have no interest in Norway or Norwegians. Everything for them revolves around the other members of the Pakistani community. "What will people say" is the most important question for them.
Because Nisha doesn't conform, she is punished severely. It's amazing that this narrative film is actually based on events that happened to director Iram Haq.
In Bend it like Beckham, we have a comedy based on cultural clashes within an Indian family in England. This movie isn't like that. Cultural obedience becomes a literal matter of life and death.
Hva vil folk si is a grim, powerful film. Maria Mozhdah is a superb actor and she makes Nisha come to life. The movie wouldn't work with a less talented actor as the protagonist.
We saw this film at Rochester's outstanding Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum. It will work well enough on the small screen. I highly recommend it.
Heart Wrenching
westsideschl14 December 2018
High school age daughter, of Pakistani immigrant parents residing in Norway, is the fulcrum of cultural & religious prescripts concerning what behavior is acceptable for a young female. Daughter sneaks a male acquaintance into her bedroom in the family home (yes, dumb!). Dad catches them before it get's too involved. Like all conservative religions, notably Christian, Muslim, Jewish there are serious repercussions particularly for the loss of "face" & family honor within the community. Physicality as shown by the dad & others is a solution often found w/the less educated. The daughter is beaten then forced to leave school & live in Pakistan w/relatives where it continues. Death & forced marriage are presented as solutions. The only thing left out as possible solutions are acid disfigurements, and stoning. Her life's role, even expressed by female family members, is to have children, cook, obedience, and keep house.
So well acted I thought I was watching a documentary. Heart wrenching, but could have been even more so. To those who think what was shown is quite rare within specific religions & nations they should look at the statistics on female abuse.
Coincidentally today (Dec. '18), as I review this movie, on the BBC website was this story of the circumstances/outcomes surrounding a Pakistani marriage: "Did my children die because I married my cousin?"
Flawed and de-attached from reality
navtaz2 July 2020
I waited for some time for this movie to come on TV.. so when me and my wife saw it coming on TV we were super excited but coming from Pakistan I have to say the plot and portrayal felt weak and deeply flawed..
Now many would say that this negativity might be coming from being hurt by the narrative in the movie. I have to say that I was quite eager to watch the movie as it does touch upon a very integral part of our culture "what will people say?" so from the very beginning I was rooting for the film.. however 20 minutes in to the movie, I could not relate to the people cultural, geography and language in the movie as it is not Pakistani in it depiction.. being middle aged and having lived in Pakistan most of my life and then being in Scandinavia for the last 15 years I have lived both lives, so I would like to believe I have some cred to my claim.
The issue with the movie is that it wants the viewer to see this movie as to see it as more of a documentary rather that work of sci fi.. but in fact watching it from the eye of someone who knows and understand Pakistan this movie does a very poor job in representing Pakistani culture, language, regional nuances and behaviors.. its risks making an uninformed audience see Pakistan as a distorted version of Indian typecasting. Iram Haq may have used her Pakistani name to tout authenticity but I am afraid she does no different than any director from western cinema who has never been to Pakistan or has known people who live in Pakistan.
It could be a more believable film if it was depicting events in a fictional state like The Republic of Wadiya or the Kingdom of Genovia, but sadly Pakistan this is not..
Now many would say that this negativity might be coming from being hurt by the narrative in the movie. I have to say that I was quite eager to watch the movie as it does touch upon a very integral part of our culture "what will people say?" so from the very beginning I was rooting for the film.. however 20 minutes in to the movie, I could not relate to the people cultural, geography and language in the movie as it is not Pakistani in it depiction.. being middle aged and having lived in Pakistan most of my life and then being in Scandinavia for the last 15 years I have lived both lives, so I would like to believe I have some cred to my claim.
The issue with the movie is that it wants the viewer to see this movie as to see it as more of a documentary rather that work of sci fi.. but in fact watching it from the eye of someone who knows and understand Pakistan this movie does a very poor job in representing Pakistani culture, language, regional nuances and behaviors.. its risks making an uninformed audience see Pakistan as a distorted version of Indian typecasting. Iram Haq may have used her Pakistani name to tout authenticity but I am afraid she does no different than any director from western cinema who has never been to Pakistan or has known people who live in Pakistan.
It could be a more believable film if it was depicting events in a fictional state like The Republic of Wadiya or the Kingdom of Genovia, but sadly Pakistan this is not..
Loved it but disappointed a bit too!
fourthdcs6 November 2018
Just watched this very interesting and well produced movie but still it disappointed me to a certain extent. Here's a short comment on the movie.
I started watching this movie very late at night and regretted my decision of watching it because I knew I had to leave it in the middle and watch the rest of it the next day. I couldn't wait to finish it as the story around the subject, film making and acting, everything is superb. The subject is great and has been tackled skilfully. The only problem with the movie is it's research about Pakistani culture.
- We don't have vegetable markets like it was shown in the movie. The markets here are very different.
- Word "videsh" is a Hindi word and it's not used in Urdu.
- In Punjab, pani puri is called gol gappay. Nobody serves gol gappas in a cup wrapped in aluminium foil. It's served in a clay pot.
- We don't use "thaali" made of steel for our food. People use ceramic or plastic plates and bowls.
- The bus that they were traveling in Pakistan, I've only seen that bus in this movie.
It could have all gone wrong, but it went so right
Horst_In_Translation18 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Hva vil folk si" or "What Will People Say" is a new Norwegian movie that premiered in 2017 already and managed a solid amount of awards recognition already and I truly hope a lot will follow. Writer and director of these 105 minutes is Iram Haq and her name already gives away vaguely the direction this film is going to take. There is not too much Norwegian in here except the boyfriend early on perhaps. This is the story of a Muslim teenager stuck between modern age-appropriate life and the bodns that come with her religion. When she gets caught with her boyfriend by her conservative father, he and her brother abduct her and take her back in the country of her forefathers where she is supposed to find out about the core values of who she is. Or I should say who everybody else wants her to be. It is really tragic. This film is not scared at all of depicting taboos and it is all very shocking. The abduction scene is one example. Another is the constant physical and psychological violence brought upon the poor young woman. It's a journey of suffering. And the status quo in the country where she is abducted too really made me shiver. The scene with the officers is particularly shokcing really when also an element of sexual abuse comes into play. Heartbreaking stuff how she is punished again and again for thing she did not even do and even if she did it would have been something girls her age do when they feel affection, maybe even love, for somebody else. Another less drastic, but equally sad moment was when she listens to the conversation between her dad and the boy's dad and the boy himself because it seems she really likes him, but of course he is also unable to break through and stand up to her and go against his dad. There is nobody supporting her in her life. And tha last chapter with the forced marriage and her basically being sent to Canada where she will have nothing in her life other than an existence as a (house)wife and mother to a not particularly handsome doctor and his future children. This is the moment that her father realizes how wrong he ahs been, at least to some extent and it's finally the first time he lets her go at the very end, which is as close to a happy end the film can get while still managing to stay realistic. Sure you could ask if it feels authentic that he watches while doing nothing when she runs away with all he did before, especially the potential suicide scene, but I let him get away with that because the one area where he always wanted his daughter to be happy was when it came to her dreams in the world of jobs and professions. And after all, he did not have the power to kill her himself, not even close. He was suffering a lot at the same time too. I actually really liked that the last shot of the film was on his face and not on the daughter as it showed how he stays back and she may be on her way into a hopefully happier life and world at that point. A great cast overall and a huge thumbs-up to Maria Mozhdah, who is a scene stealer in every scene from start to finish and may have a very bright career ahead of her. Same thumbs up to woman filmmaker Haq for her bold and painfully real depiction here. She is not willing to make things right. There is no emotional ending with the family unrealistically loving and hugging the daughter out of nowhere. It would have been a joke actually with the mother saying shortly before that that she wishes Nisha would never have been born. A film that is painful to watch because of how good it is and how close it is to the truth. I would not be surprised at all if this story happed to 100s, maybe 1000 Nishas out there who eventually ended up stuck in an unhappy (for them) marriage. Highly highly recommended,one of 2017's very best movies. Some gerat talent involved here. An absolute must-see.
A Story from the Frontline of The Cultural Divide
biisuto5 July 2018
This is a haunting story of a young woman seeking a balance between love for her family and her desire to live a normal life in her adopted country. In telling the story of Nisha, an immigrant walking the cultural tightrope between her Pakistani heritage and her home outside of Norway's capital, the film is a strong, unblinking statement about the imminent savagery still menacing women and girls who won't conform to the imported, conservative cultural values and behaviours their parents strive to maintain, amid the economic benefits they want from affluent liberal modernity.
Prepare urself for this..
priyanka-purushotham25 November 2019
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