''Bo Kata'' is a 2007 documentary film produced, directed, edited and shot by

Shehzad Afzal Shehzad Afzal is a writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographer and game designer born in Dundee, Scotland.Douglas Mackinnon Douglas Mackinnon is a Scottish film and television director from Portree, Isle of Skye. He has directed many episodes of television drama and at least three television films. His work includes ''Bodies'', ''Gentlemen's Relish'', ''Robin Hood' ...

, Scottish Film and TV Director ("The Flying Scotsman", "Jekyll", "Bodies", "The Vice", '' Doctor Who''), who attended the film premiere of Bo Kata in Dundee at the Contemporary Arts Cinema (February 2007), said it was "A beautifully made film about a world of kites and conflict, with marvelously atmospheric music." Bo Kata was nominated for the

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer. One of the greatest auteurs o ...

Film Foundation Award 2007 for Best Film in association with the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh la ...

and the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

. Bo Kata received a limited theatrical release across the UK in 2007 and was selected for in-competition for a number of international film festivals and showcases such as the ''Festival 3ER Internacional de Cine de Monterrey'', the ''2° Festival Internacional de Cine Documental de la Ciudad de México - 2007 - DOCSDF - DOCSMX'' and the world renowned ''13th Bite the Mango International Film Festival 2007 in Bradford''. In late October 2019, ''Bo Kata'' was released on the Android platform in the shape of a downloadable mobile application for both the ''Amazon AppStore'' and ''

Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating sys ...

'', called ''Bo Kata Digital''. The concept started in early January 2019, the idea behind the 'app' was to create a user interface that resembled old

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

film menus, adding extras and features for a new audience who could watch the documentary in the mobile sphere. The application was developed and designed by

Shehzad Afzal Shehzad Afzal is a writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographer and game designer born in Dundee, Scotland.Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, over three continuous days. The documentary depicts the unique rooftop kite duellists of the city. The annual celebration of the coming of Spring, known as Basant in Pakistan, has been a tradition and cultural heritage of Pakistan for over 400 years. A series of tragic accidents resulting in decapitations and dismemberment from illegal chemically coated strings used to fly the kites has seen the age-old tradition come under attack from politicians, the authorities and the non kite-flying public. The ''Bo Kata'' documentary provides an insight into the fanatical kite flying population and the lucrative industry surrounding it amidst the political backdrop of an impending ban.

Production

''Bo Kata'' was filmed on location in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...

during the Annual Basant Kite Festival (Spring Festival) over three consecutive days in February 2004. Shehzad Afzal wanted a simplified music palette for the score to denote the kite strings and to convey lightness and space. John Walden used a mixture of guitar strings and Indian instrument sounds to produce a beautifully orchestrated sound space, which married perfectly with the visuals. A detailed interview appeared in the December 2007 /January 2008 issue of ''roughcuts'' Scottish Screen Industries Magazine, where Shehzad spoke about his past, present and future creative projects.Roughtcuts Scottish Screen Industries Magazine
''yumpu.com''

References

External links

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Download Bo Kata Digital from Amazon AppStoreDownload Bo Kata Digital from Google Play
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bo Kata (Documentary Film) Pakistani documentary films British documentary films 2007 films 2000s Urdu-language films 2007 documentary films Works about kite flying 2000s British films Urdu-language Pakistani films