Berlin Fellowship 2020 — Film and Media Arts
Nida Mehboob
* 1985 in Gujrat (PK)
lives in Lahore (PK)
Website: www.nidamehboob.com
Instagram: @nidaa.mehboob
Vita
Nida Mehboob is a photographer & filmmaker based in Lahore, Pakistan. She qualified as a pharmacist but left the field to pursue photography. Her topics of interest includes themes of social injustice ranging from religious persecution to gender discrimination in Pakistan. Her documentary work has earned her places at several international workshops and fellowships including the Magnum Foundation's Social Justice Program and Berlinale Talents 2020. Her short films have screened at international film festivals, including Locarno Open Doors 2018.
Residency
During my residency, I will work on designing and printing a photo-book called "A survival guide for Ahmadis in Pakistan." This is a sarcastic take on the persecution of a religious minority, using images, text and archives. Borrowing aesthetics from traditional survival guides, this book explores the history of persecution and discrimination faced by this community in daily life while maintaining the anonymity of the subjects using staged photographs.