Khajistan Presents: 5 Year Anniversary Screening of Showgirls of Pakistan at SculptureCenter, NYC
by Khajistan Cultural Desk
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Poster for Showgirls of Pakistan (2020). Courtesy Savta and Other Memory Media.
Sun, Jul 20, 2025, 2–4pm
Film Screening and Q&A: Showgirls of Pakistan (2020)
Runtime: 106 min
Country: Pakistan
Language: Urdu & Punjabi
Format: Documentary feature
Credits: Saad Khan (Director / Writer / Editor / Producer), Anam Abbas (Producer / Cinematographer), Joey Chriqui (Art Director / Editor)
Developed over eight years, Showgirls of Pakistan premiered at IDFA 2020 in a hybrid lockdown edition and later headlined Vice’s Shortlist—but it has yet to be screened publicly in the U.S. with its makers in the room. The film follows mujra dancers Afreen Khan, Uzma Khan, and Reema Jaan as they defy censorship, predatory managers, and social stigma in pursuit of stardom. Using the dancers' own social-media videos, archival footage, and intimate vérité, it recasts the centuries-old mujra tradition as a stage for moral and political contest. Film Inquiry calls it “a fascinating exposé of a subculture that feels like it exists between two worlds”, and the New York Review of Books praises its editing for making the dancers’ experiences legible both to themselves and to audiences. Over the past five years, the film has developed a devoted underground following, cementing its cult status.
Following the film screening there will be a Q&A with filmmakers Saad Khan and Joey Chriqui moderated by Meher Ahmad.
This screening is part of the exhibition Spasial Program by Khajistan in the lower-level gallery of SculptureCenter from June 19 - July 28, 2025. Each screening has a limited capacity. RSVP is first come, first served.
