The directorial debut of Usman Riaz and the first production of Mano Animation Studios, The Glassworker is a hand-drawn animated film, the first of its kind in Pakistan. I have been following the development of this film for a while, and being an anime enthusiast, I was looking forward to watching the first such production in the country’s cinematic history.
With my expectations firmly in check, I watched the film with my brothers. It is quite easy to let hype and anticipation color your experience, especially in cases like these, where the studio tries to lure you into being wholeheartedly invested in the production process of the film. Every studio has a right to be proud of their product, and the five-minute mini-documentary at the beginning of the film left me a bit emotional.
Without further ado, let me delve into the specifics. Right from the beginning, the animation hits you exactly as the producers intended. This is certainly where the majority of the studio’s budget and passion went, and attention to detail, alongside the vibrancy of colors, shows you that the animators put their heart and soul into the project. The gorgeous hand-drawn art style is clearly inspired by the Studio Ghibli.
Taking inspiration from some of the best and most celebrated animators in history is not a bad idea at all. The overall quality turned out to be good and the result was a visual feast. While there were certain areas where the animation felt a bit choppy, the animators can be excused for this, considering that they executed the project with financial constraints and without prior experience.
The music and sound design is another well-done aspect of the film. Though I will not classify the sound score as totally incredible, it usually does the job and shines when you need it to. The enchanting melodies of the recital scenes and the punchy sound effects of the war scenes will have a chokehold on your attention even if you are otherwise getting bored.
Moreover, the voice acting was done well, but there were certain instances where things went a bit off-track. Urdu words and names being delivered by a British cast of voice actors was a bit jarring. But I have nobody but myself to blame for this since the film was readily available in Urdu as well. While the animation is done right, the writing is where the film struggles.
The producers did not utilize the right writing resources available in the country since Pakistan has many talented writers. The first half of the film is good enough, and it sets up the wider moral conflict of the story that is mirrored by the personal conflict that the protagonists face. The second half of the film, however, fails to make good use of this setup. The plot felt incoherent and makes you wonder why the studio did not focus on this aspect.
Another thing that bothered me was the treatment of cultural elements. At a number of spots during the course of the film, Gulab Jamun was mentioned constantly when Samosas could have served the cause better. European architecture and design dominated the visuals. In one of the scenes, a character was served wine at a bar. This makes you wonder that the producers tried to sanitize a Pakistani film for Western audiences.
A visually brilliant film could have served the cause of promoting our cultural identity. Although bright and shiny, The Glassworker is a bit hollow. I would still encourage you to forge your own opinion. Perhaps, constructive criticism can help us enhance the production quality of Pakistani films. Now, I admit that I may have been quite harsh here, and I must highlight that despite its shortfalls, the film is still a landmark in Pakistan’s cinematic history and deserves to be lauded as a technical achievement in the field of animation.