[TR經濟學人005]The fall and rise of Pakistani film

原文

The fall and rise of Pakistani film

Islamisation put paid to the first great era of cinema in Pakistan. But new directors with edgy social content are leading a revival

Apr 25th 2018

THE 1960s and 1970s were a golden age of Pakistani cinema. Hundreds of popular films were produced yearly by Lollywood, the Lahore-based entertainment industry. The eras stars included Waheed Murad, a heartthrob, and Sabiha Khanoum, known as the first lady of Pakistani screens. Both continue to be revered today. Murads 1966 film "Armaan" ("Desire") introduced audiences to the first South Asian pop song, creating a new genre of Pakistani music.

But for all its former glory, production in Lollywood collapsed by the end of the 1990s. By 2005, barely 20 local films were released annually. Political turmoil triggered the decline. General Zia-ul-Haq seized power in 1977 in a military coup. The new president proceeded to enforce an Islamisation agenda, under which film-makers were forced to comply with strict censorship. Projects could be banned if deemed prejudicial to all manner of interests, including decency, morality and the public good. With little to screen and unable to compete with home entertainment, hundreds of cinemas were shuttered.

Further absurdities awaited. Producers could only work if they had an academic degree and all had to register with the ministry of culture. Heavy entertainment taxes were introduced, and investment dried up as profits fell. Indian films were banned, and eventually the number of Pakistani Urdu films dwindled. Pakistani audiences, starved of entertainment, were pacified only by the arrival of the VCR. A thriving black market for Bollywood videotapes soon developed, and many Pakistanis grew up watching pirated films from across the border.

But a new generation of directors and producers is now leading Lollywoods recovery. The nickname has endured, but little else remains the same. Production has moved from Lahore to the coastal city of Karachi. The ban on Indian films was lifted, and it is these and Western offerings that keep Pakistans cinemas open today. But Pakistani films are, slowly, returning to the screen.

Shoaib Mansoor is the director credited with reversing the film industrys fortunes, but his reputation is partly built on savvy marketing. In 2007 his film "Khuda Kay Liye" ("The Name of God") was advertised as marking the official revival of Pakistani cinema. The move was a public relations masterstroke that took advantage of softening government control and tapped into a public hunger for local films.

"Khuda Kay Liye" follows the lives two young Pakistani men in the aftermath of 9/11. The film is darker than classic films, and the plot is sometimes convoluted. Yet Mr Mansoor found an audience eager for a modern Pakistani Urdu production and the film played to packed cinemas. Pakistani audiences had been promised a revival, and by showing up to cinemas across the country, they made it happen.

Mr Mansoor followed up with "Bol" ("Speak") and 2017s "Verna". Both focus on gender issues, and the latter triggered a national debate. The plot of "Verna" follows a sexual assault survivor, a subject that caused enormous political controversy after Pakistans censor board took issue with what it called "edgy content", and considered banning the film. The ensuing debate touched a public nerve, as it coincided with widespread protests held over the rape and murder of Zainab Ansari, a seven-year-old girl. When it was eventually screened, the films skewering of misogyny was applauded. Mr Mansoor typically focuses on content over style, choosing to pack his films with social criticism, sometimes to a fault. Both "Verna" and "Bol" were criticised for erratic pacing and weak cinematography.

But Mr Mansoors example has been followed and improved on by other directors. "Cake" (see picture), directed by Asim Abbasi, was released at the end of March. Its a far cry from 1960s films, known for their melodrama and impressive song and dance numbers, yet is all the better for this. The plot revolves around the lives of two sisters caring for their ailing parents. One has remained in Pakistan and the other has just returned from Britain, a common scenario in Pakistans wealthier neighbourhoods (accordingly, critics have praised it for its realism). Mr Abbasi focuses on the conflicted relationship between the two women as they gather to celebrate their parents wedding anniversary, and neither muffles their anger nor exaggerates their rivalry. Refreshingly, their romantic ties remain secondary. "Cake" became the first Pakistani film to premiere at Londons Leicester Square.

Much work remains to be done. Pakistans Central Board of Film Censors continues to wield enormous power over which films are seen. And although the rising numbers of subversive films are encouraging, the social consequences of their release fall disproportionately on the women involved. The lead role in "Verna" was played by Mahira Khan, who has long been a target for sexist trolls online. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, an Oscar-winning documentary maker, has faced similar problems for her work on honour killings and acid attacks.

But despite the obstacles, a resurgence is finally underway in Lollywood. Fresh-faced directors such as Mr Abbasi have access to high production budgets, talented casts and scripts that avoid clichés. The new wave of Pakistani cinema may well eclipse its golden age.

譯文

巴基斯坦電影的衰落與崛起

巴基斯坦的伊斯蘭化終結了其電影業的首個光輝時代，但現如今傾力於前衛社會內容的新導演們正引領著一場復興

18.04.25

20世紀60、70年代是巴基斯坦電影業的黃金時代，羅萊塢是位於拉合爾的娛樂產業，它每年都能產出成百上千的時興電影。那個年代的巨星們包括萬眾寵愛的Waheed Murad和被稱為「巴基斯坦銀幕上第一位女性」的Sabiha Khanoum，這兩人直到今天都備受推崇。Murad在1960年的電影《慾望》（《Armaan》）給觀眾帶來了南亞第一首流行歌曲，開創了巴基斯坦音樂的一種全新類型。

儘管羅萊塢電影業的舊日風光無限，但它仍在90年代末期轟然倒塌。2005年羅萊塢只發行了20部本土影片，而導致羅萊塢衰落的是政局的動蕩。1997年，Zia-ul-Haq將軍在一場軍事政變中掌權。新總統強行推進伊斯蘭化議程，在此議程下，電影製作者必須接受嚴格的審查。如果電影項目被視為有損於各種各樣的利益，包括不夠高雅，罔顧道德，有傷公共利益等等，那麼就有可能會被禁。由於發行量少，且難以同家庭娛樂相競爭，成百上千的影院關門大吉。

還有更荒唐的事等著呢。製片人沒有學位的話就不能進行電影製作，並且所有製片人必須在文化部註冊。政府對娛樂業課以重稅，而隨著利潤下滑，投資也油盡燈枯。印度電影被禁，最後巴基斯坦的烏爾都語電影也逐漸減少。缺乏娛樂的巴基斯坦觀眾們只在VCR到來的時候受過撫慰。很快售賣寶萊塢錄像帶的黑市蓬勃發展起來，許多巴基斯坦人就是看著來自國界另一頭的盜版電影長大的。

但是新一代的導演和製片人現如今正為羅萊塢帶起一場復興。（在這場復興中，）羅萊塢這個名字被予以保留，而其他方面則大不相同。電影作業已從拉合爾轉到海濱城市卡拉奇；對印度電影的禁令被取消，現今正是這些印度電影和西方電影維持著巴基斯坦電影院的運行。但同時巴基斯坦本土電影正慢慢地回歸銀幕，

Shoaib Mansoor是一位被譽為「扭轉了巴基斯坦電影業命運」的導演，但他的聲譽部分是建立在精明的市場營銷上的。他2007年的電影《以父之名》（《Khuda Kay Liye》），被標榜為「標誌著巴基斯坦電影業的正式復興」。此舉是一次十分巧妙的公關，既減輕了政府控制，又迎合了公眾對本土影片的期待。

《以父之名》講述了911之後兩個巴基斯坦青年的生活。這部影片比經典作品更陰暗，情節有時令人費解。然而Mansoor發現觀眾們對現代的巴基斯坦烏爾都語影片十分渴望，以至於這部影片上映時影院里座無虛席。巴基斯坦觀眾們進入影院前被告知這部影片標誌著巴基斯坦電影業的復興，而正是因為他們出現在全國各地的影院里買單，這才真的造就了這場復興。

Mansoor緊接著推出《講述》（《Bol》）和2017年的《韋爾娜》（《Verna》），兩部影片都聚焦於性別歧視問題，後者更是引發了全國性的爭論。《Verna》的情節講述了一個性侵犯倖存者的遭遇，這個題材在巴基斯坦審查委員會對其認定的影片中的「前衛內容」提出質疑並考慮封禁該片後引起了巨大的政治爭議。隨之而來的討論觸碰到了公眾的神經，因為影片恰逢對七歲女孩Zainab Ansari被姦殺一事的抗議活動群起之時。當影片最終上映後，其對厭女症的諷刺為人稱道。Mansoor導演一般注重內容過於風格，慣於將社會批評打包進影片之中，有時會顯得過度。《韋爾娜》和《講述》都因不穩定的敘事節奏和孱弱的攝影技術而招致批評。

但Mansoor被後來的其他導演們效仿並超越。由Asim Abbasi導演的《蛋糕》（《Cake》，見圖）在今年3月末發行。這部影片與60年代的影片大不相同，60年代的影片以情景劇式的演出和令人驚嘆的歌舞數量聞名，而這部影片則做得更好。影片劇情圍繞兩個照看生病父母的兩姐妹的生活展開。姐妹中的一人一直住在巴基斯坦，另一人則剛從英國回來，這種情況在巴基斯坦富人居住區十分普遍，所以評論家很讚賞這部影片的現實主義。Abbasi導演把精力放在刻畫兩姐妹聚在一處準備慶祝父母的結婚紀念日時所產生的矛盾關係，既不抑制她們的憤怒，也不誇大她們的對抗。令人耳目一新的是對她們深厚情誼的刻畫一直位居次席。《蛋糕》成為第一部在倫敦萊徹斯特廣場上首映的巴基斯坦影片。

要想實現這場復興，還有許多工作等待著去做。巴基斯坦影視審查中央委員會仍在決定哪些影片能夠上映的事情上執掌大權。儘管顛覆性影片的數目提升令人鼓舞，但這些影片的發行所造成的社會影響不成比例地落在了參與其中的女性身上。《韋爾娜》的領銜主演Mahira Khan已成為網上性別歧視狂人們的攻擊靶子。Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy是奧斯卡最佳紀錄片獎的製片人，她也因其關於榮譽謀殺和酸襲擊的工作而面臨相同的問題。

雖然障礙重重，但羅萊塢的復興已經指日可待。像Abbasi這樣的新人導演們有機會拿到高預算、好演員和不落俗套的劇本。巴基斯坦電影業的這場新浪潮，說不定會使它曾經的黃金時代也黯然失色。

翻譯疑點

1.Yet Mr Mansoor found an audience eager for a modern Pakistani Urdu production and the film played to packed cinemas 譯為「然而Mansoor發現觀眾們對現代的巴基斯坦烏爾都語影片十分渴望，以至於這部影片上映時影院里座無虛席」

我有點分析不清楚這個句子的語法結構。我個人的看法是the film做eager for的賓語，played修飾film，to packed cinemas是狀語，修飾eager，表程度，「渴望到塞滿了影院的地步」。其實我覺得還是有些牽強的，不知道對不對。

2.Both "Verna" and "Bol" were criticised for erratic pacing and weak cinematography譯為 「《韋爾娜》和《講述》都因不穩定的敘事節奏和孱弱的攝影技術而招致批評。」

我不太懂電影術語，不知道pacing和cinematography譯為「敘事節奏」和「攝影技術」是否正確。

3. Its a far cry from 1960s films, known for their melodrama and impressive song and dance numbers, yet is all the better for this 譯為 「這部影片與60年代的影片大不相同，60年代的影片以情景劇式的演出和令人驚嘆的歌舞數量聞名，而這部影片則做得更好」

這句我看著有些糊塗，因為它說影片與以前的影片大不一樣，far cry from；它又說影片比以前的影片在歌舞和情景劇上做得更好，all the better。這兩點在我看來挺矛盾的。電影比較新，是上個月發行的，我沒辦法看到劇情，不知道裡面是否有歌舞情節。有的話這句的意思就是「影片與以前的影片一脈相承，但做得更好」；沒有歌舞情節的話意思就是「影片與以前的影片截然不同，但水平更高」。

4.Refreshingly, their romantic ties remain secondary 譯為「令人耳目一新的是對她們深厚情誼的刻畫一直位居次席」

這個romantic tie讓我有點懵。。romantic不是用來形容愛情的嗎？難道姐妹倆是。。？我不知道劇情，強行給理解為「深厚情誼」。知道的朋友可以指點我一下。我甚至有些懷疑我的翻譯是在雞同鴨講，作者可能根本不是這個意思。

5.sexist troll 譯為 「性別歧視狂人」

我實在是查不到這個片語是什麼意思，只查到troll是一種魔幻生物，中文好像是「海怪」或者「岩穴巨人」。這個用法可能是西方網路用語或者俚語，我勉強翻成「性別歧視狂人」，不知道以前是否有其他譯法？

6.acid attack 譯為「酸襲擊」，這個譯名是我自己定的，但我覺得可能已經有更好的譯名了，期待知道的人說一下。

PS

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