Sci-Fi Short Film: "Shehr e Tabassum" | DUST
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- In 2071 Pakistan, citizens are mandated by law to smile at all times, holding together a tenuous peace after three decades of civil war. But at what cost?
"Shehr e Tabassum" by Arafat Mazhar
Connect with the Filmmaker:
puffball.pk/
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/ puffballstudios
/ shehretabassum
More About "Shehr e Tabassum":
The year is 2071. Pakistan's Amir-e-Mumlikat has ushered in an era of peace, prosperity, and stability after a civil war that lasted three decades. The cost for this new found peace: constant surveillance and a world in which the only expression citizens are allowed is a smile. Welcome to Shehr e Tabassum.
"Shehr e Tabassum" Credits:
Director: Arafat Mazhar
Creative Director: Isma Gul Hasan
Lead Animator: Haseeb Rehman
Animation Team:
Isma Gul Hasan
Haseeb Rehman
Arafat Mahzar
Haaris Mansoor
Sanabil Hasan
Zahra Aamer
Aman Asif Lone
Salman Karim
Edited By:
Haseeb Rehman
Type and Graphic Design
Shumyle Haider
Compositing and VFX:
Mustafa Kamal
Waleed Zafar
Hassaan Mahmood
Haseeb Rehman
Assistant Artists:
Hira Shukaib
Lalain Iqbal
Rabeeha Adnan
Aman Asif Lone
Tehreem Zafar
Itrat Jabeen
Zainab Anwar
Ahsan Iftikhar
Moosa Saeed
Zahra Aamer
Hassaan Mahmood
Momin Masood
Iqra Fazli
Shahrukh Aslam
Fatima Anwar
Voice Acting:
Rasti Farooq
Shah Fahad
Omair Rana
Sana Jaffri
Huzaifa Akbar
Haseeb Rehman
Shumyle Haider
Concept:
Arafat Mazhar and Ayesha Iftikhar
Screenplay:
Arafat Mazhar
Ayesha Iftikhar
Shahrukh Aslam
Fatima Anwar
Rasti Farooq
Muhammad Rafay
Original Score:
Arafat Mazhar
End Credit Song:
Arafat Mazhar and Shehzad Noor
Engineered and Recorded by:
Shahrukh Aslam and Abeer Sheikh
Sound Design, mix and mastered by:
Abeer Sheikh (with Shahrukh Aslam)
Produced by Rasti Farooq and Arafat Mazhar at Puffball Studios
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We're so thrilled to have our debut hand-painted animated short Shehr e Tabassum (City of Smiles) on one of the biggest sci-fi platforms right now! We're a small Pakistani animation studio and this is a huge deal for us, especially since everything was drawn, animated, acted and scored by a handful of us. This film is our response to an increasingly oppressive world and our pledge to resist in the face of power. S-e-T already got so much love in Pakistan and India and we're so excited to bring a Pakistani sci-fi storytelling and visual landscape to people around the world! Whether you're a sic-fi fan or not, if you like our film, hit us up, we'd love to chat! :D
Behtareen animation hai... Bahot pasand aaya !!
Good stuff. Loved the animated style. Not every day the western world sees sci-fi from your neck of the woods...keep on doing what you're doing!
@@Xomage999 thank you. yes. we really appreciate the platform DUST has provided for a sci fi film from south to be shown internationally outside of the festival circuit
Thank you. This is beautiful work.
@@alexbadillo9940 thank you Alex. do check out our other film Swipe available for free on our channel.
So so so proud to have our film screened here. Thank you, Dust and thank you for the kind, encouraging words everybody!!
Loved this short. Do you really believe that Islam will make it that far in the future? And if it does, do you think it will progress the society to that level of efficiency and intelligence? I don't see that happening without huge reform. Reform so incredibly big, that it wouldn't resemble the current belief. Right now, the more flow of information and the more exposure to the industrialized world is corroding it at a very fast pace. As the faith is now, it's completely incompatible with a sustainable future. What are your thoughts?
You should be proud!! I can't imagine the work that went in to it. I would love nothing more than to see a sequel that follows the main character's rebellion. Remember to SMILE ;)
@@annehaase3380 If Christianity was able to change, Islam might too and not lose the essentials, its all in the future we probably wont live to see it, but i say anything is possible
Awesome work! I look forward to watching more of your films!
keep it up weldone
The art is GORGEOUS! I hope the filmmakers see us all loving their work 💕💕💕
thank you. it means a lot to all of us. you can visit our page to check out our other short animated film as well
Nice distopian idea, also good and unique artstyle 👍
@@PuffballStudios sequel :DDDDDDD
As an artist illustrator 38yrs still going this is the most amazing original style animation Ive seen in a decade. Listen with headphones on a large screen and you are transported into this world as if its real. 99% of HolyWeird films cant even do that. Well done my friends in the emerging future of Asia....
If everyone’s smiling, no one’s smiling.
YES! Something as benign as a smile becomes distorted and nightmarish - depending on who controls it and how. Thanks for watching, Mike!
Incredibly stylish. I do not see things like this very often.
Saw this such a long time ago and was blown by this. Not just the idea or animation or art, the most amazing part for me was the sound design and voice acting. It was so well done ❤️
Really happy to see this being featured here :)
So happy to read your comment, Talha. Thank you!
So exciting to see our film on here! 🖤
ur film ?
@@memaker3433 his voice in this film.
@@jkobain Okay got it, thanks for the answer.
@@memaker3433 Rasti is one of the writers and producers of Shehr e Tabassum :) she also voiced multiple characters in the film
Pakistani cyberpunk. Love it!
As an Indian,
i would love to say that It is almost perfect episode,
it is 9.5 out of 10..
Just one thing i need to tell you is that please reduce the background music when characters are speaking so that we can hear them properly
lt seems youtubes fault. read comments on any dust vid with voice+music, same problem always.
I am from Pakistan I am I am so proud that this film made it to DUST.
Aaaaaa, represent
This is some black mirror stuff dude
True
What I really like is that it's not the government at all. This is what happens when we are owned by corporations.
This is all of us today. Forced smile, despite pain when anger would be more effective…
More effective at what? I rather see the world showing too much hatred. At least online.
@@MiTheMer More effective at saying that violence, hatred and oppression cause only suffering. Not just mindless protests.
@@MiTheMer pain and anger can be a driving force for change, getting people into action. People that are happy are complacent and content with how things are.
@@isishathor1238 Can't follow this at all. That violence, hatred and oppression cause suffering is pretty obvious. But then what -- are you saying anger is a solution to violence and hatred? Are you saying there's no anger present in protests? Please speak in something more articulate than sentence fragments.
@@butch7911 Sometimes both is needed.
Love how the tech overlord tower is another take on Saurons Barad-dur. It brings to mind todays social media companies and how everything people see and think is controlled by these tech overlords. Evil is evil...forcing conformity of thought on people is no less evil than any other crime against humanity.
What beautiful animation. The color is fantastic. The story is wonderful as well.
Really great. One day not so far away it could become our reality. I hope there will be a sequel to this short film. 🙂☹️
We're working on one, but don't tell anyone!
@@PuffballStudios wonderful news! 🤐
🐼 Big Bear Hugs from a 68 yr old grandma in Kirby, Texas, USA 🐼 ❤️ 🎀 ❤️
:') okay that just fully made our day. Thank you Gramma in Kirby!
You are doing super work👌
thank you. greetings and love from Pakistan
@@PuffballStudios loving this
@@PuffballStudios keep smiling.
Who else pumped their fist and screamed YEAH!! at the end?!....LOL! Great short!
WE DID, WE DID, eheeee. Thanks so much for this comment, Rochelle! Made our day :D
Wow happy to see someone from my country on my favorite sci-fi channel on youtube...!
Wooooop!
This is so brilliant and genius...Cant wait to see more stuff by you guys....🥰❤
Thanks, Amina :')
Amazing. The drawing was crazy, felt as though I was really running and turning through those crowds. 10/10 no complaints here , ending was hardcore too
Well that was amazing
Well, I cannot argue with that
@@jimduncan5860 Well, seems like you fellas said all there is to say
This is something that belongs on the Love Death Robots collection.
Beautiful and very thought-provoking. Thank you for sharing your work!
It's a total honour to have made this film and for it to now be on Dust. thank you for watching, David
Very good animation. The concept is pretty old though and those who might have read Orwell's 1984 will know. Intelligent and thought-provoking, it deserves this honour of being a part of Dust!
Sooo humbling to be compared to such classics! Thank you so much for your kind words
Goosebumps each time i watch ittt!! So proud. 🥺
Amazing👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Wow, kya baat h yaar. Impressive!
Bohat bohat shukria :'D
I already see people who keep that fake smile as a religious ritual. And the utter discomfort when another shows the slightest genuine emotion of any kind. It's already socially accepted as a norm. I usually classify these people as cold and insincere.
You're right. Anger, sadness, fear are increasingly met with attempts to get rid of the emotions, not by discussing the root of these emotions.
But we're not there yet. People realize more than it seems and are just afraid of being not accepted.
That fear can be overcome when we listen to each other.
@@christinefischer2137 yes, but this privacy of opinion and lack of showing emotion comes from somewhere. In many other countries is not taboo to completely open up about any personal, political or money status with people you barely know. In Germany for example, you are invited to a party, you barely know anyone there, and the first questions you'll encounter are where do you work, how much you make, what's your political leaning. And if you seem upset, you will get other personal questions and be expected to answer in a meaningful way. If you don't, people distance themselves from you and no one will talk to you after realizing "you are too private". And discussing these things with everyone, does make a world of difference for mental health. You learn to argue your point efficiency and learn how to listen to other's opinion. Almost always it makes you feel better, since everyone understands that others have different opinions and points to support that. Taking about what you bought, where you went, the weather, or who you saw lately, can only take a conversation so far. Is only in the states, that I've seen this level of small talk. And they say the Germans are cold people...
Epic, all of u guys did a brilliant work, looking forward for a lot of such... guys u all did an amazing stuff... really loved it... love from an indian
yeah man ... pakistan is always far ahead in creative stuff .. their music, poetry, humour .. all are way ahead of India
The time we stop comparing ourselves, we will be able to find and make wonders... that too together
@@blikephoenix470 Agree with this spirit! SO happy to know our film is being watched and appreciated across the border. Thanks you guys
@@PuffballStudios always there
I would watch every film here than Hollywood films cause you bound to expect something new every time here, love this channel 😍😍😍
so do we!
That was EPIC - animation wise & story wise... Thank you...
Sooner or later, we all to remove those blinkers....
Well done! Had me on the edge of my seat! Thank you. 😃
The edge of the seat is our favourite spot! :D Thanks for watching, Yvonne!
It’s gorgeous
Thank you for the love!
Absolute Masterpiece! Cant believe it came from Pakistan 🇵🇰 🇵🇰 🇵🇰 Represent!
*fist bump* thanks for the hype, dost!
Feels amazing to see this here
good haseebu.. chuk k raksoo
@@rajashoaib229 ❤
Most eerie feelings while i watch this piece everytime
I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS HEAR IT MAKES MY HEART SING
I had the pleasure of seeing this film when puffball studios did screenings at universities across Pakistan. It was thrilling then and it's thrilling now, and I'm so happy it has a place on one of my favourite RUclips channels 🥺💚💚💚🧿🧿
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE !!!!!!!!!
This was dark. And beautifully animated.
At 3:39 I picked up the word ‘depression’. So I assume there is no word for it in Urdu?
I loved when she tore that accursed device off and that badass, triumphant music kicked in. One woman revolution 😁
This is the future.. people will run from the pain, and want to smile, but that smile will be fake.. 😢
Loved it!
AAAA thank you!!! We also have another short, Swipe, uploaded up on our channel. You might love that too :)
Loved the raw animation. Nice dystopian concept! Keep smiling :)
;)
@@PuffballStudios xD
Hats off. Amazing stuff. Keep it coming guys!
Love from Pakistan.
BACK AT UUU.
I👏FELT👏THAT👏💯!!! Work of art!
THANKS FRIEND!
Timely.
Spectacular artwork.
Thanks so much Dave!
Another Great video!!
Now i want to see this turned into an entire animated show where the mother goes berserk and takes down Muskaan ltd. Excellent work! Love from India!
Loved it 👏👏👏👏
😍😍😍 This is a masterpiece.
Agreed.
Brilliant! Heavy themes dealt with in a creative way. Cool ending!
Thank you!! You can check out some of other stuff on our channel :D
The theme carries the weight of societies false perception of happiness and acceptance of ridiculous laws that trap you to be dependent on those who make said laws that create a false sense of security.
@Puffball Studios - Thank you very much for your story & the art work in this short scifi movie. The story is very deep on so many levels. Any chance of a second part? Or maybe a series from this???
Oye hoye hoye, yeh to zbrdst hay!
🤘🏼🤩👍🏼 Sharing with my contacts!
Looove 4:02 🇵🇰🙂
This is so dope!
Wow, I really like it. Good job Pakistan. ❤️🇮🇳🙏
.
Finally! something more foreign than just westernized views/values...Even without the subtitles, the emotions were enough for me to understand the situations...
:) smileys arent always friendly 😜
.
im Thankfull to you Guys Its really Most Special moment for me to watch Pakistani Stuff On this platform thank you so much 🇵🇰
I wanna see it as a 3 hour movie in a theater.. 🔥♥️🤩
Don't worry. The implants of the future will ensure that the correct attitude is always present. There will be no need to fear the absence of an agreeable smile.
Love the score so much! 💜
Smiling is nice. Usually. I've had a used car dealer smile after selling me a car. I found out why later. lol. Interesting film, good artwork. Sometimes at the end of the day, you just can't keep smiling. You can smile about your film though. Nice work.
This is absolutely stunning - dystopia brought to life through superb imagination, animation, sound and voice acting.
I'm also really pleased to see more South Asian sf coming to the rest of the world ❤️
خوشی ہوئ۔اتنے اچھے platform پر اپنی بنی ہوئ چیز دیکھنا۔
Nothing new here, this is all pretty much standard since the 17th century in Holland.
By the way, i liked the film, great piece of work.👍🏻
Usually don't watch/like anim, but this was good and a great SyFy plot.
well done, the plot reminds me of the game "we happy few"
ooo we will check this out!
Certified Gold!!!!!😜
Thats really surprising
Somone doin betterment in such a epic manner
Really thus channel deserves more than it has
I don’t know why every futuristic film maker think we will have unlimited energy production and flying cars and super dense cities with no plant life anymore
Nice to see animation done the old fashioned way and still look current. Great job and good message.
hand-drawn forever and always
👏👏👏👏
Team puff ball studio making Pakistan proud.
All smiles on the outside, a ton of misery on the inside. Well done animation. I love it!
😍 🎉 Congratulations 🎉
Oh wow. Absolutely loved this. Gripping concept, wonderfully executed
That was amazing!!
The story and animation was pretty unique. Bringing a pakistani view to this short sci-fi film was quite refreshing.
That was awesome, need to see more.
in fact, the concept of freedom contains the paradox of self-denial, for example: the freedom to forbid someone something or the freedom to accept injustice and violence. The last few years have given a lot of variants for the realisation of such paradoxes, showing how quickly opposites pass into each other
Wowww goosebumps!!!! Proud Pakistani
I’m not sure which version of the future is more dystopian: a post-apocalyptic desert - or this.
Wow great 👏🏼👏🏼
One minute in and I'm blown away...
SO HAPPY TO HEAR THIS, EVAN :D Hope you watched till the end and enjoyed it!
Thank-you for finally getting the audio levels right, even if it is one with built-in subtitles. Good video!
AWESOME :)
Anybody else feel like this is what our elected officials are steering us toward right now? It's already conform or else. How long until conform or die?
No, not at all. Don’t be silly.
There’s real things to worry about rather than your paranoid notion of some “conform or die” totalitarian government scenario in the style of this short film.
@@monkeybudge you're right. A virus that has less chance of killing me if I get it than literally every time I get behind the wheel of a car is a way bigger deal.
The music at the end is AMAZING!!!!
Yeah goosebumps
This is so evocative of our human condition in the face of controlling social forces.
Absolutely! Thanks for watching and commenting, John!
Pretty cool. Watched it right to the end. It's a very relevant video given what the world is going through right now.
Greetings from Shiraz
Awesome, Thank You 🖤
Wonderful set-up.... excellent design work. I just wish you had a proper story on this strong foundation you built. Look forward to more....
Very good one, great animations too.
Excellent! Great job!
Terrifying.
This film really made me smile
Mind blowing ❤
Wow-beautifully designed and executed. A work of art.