What Will People Say

Written and directed by Iram Haq, What Will People Say offers a convincing microcosmic version of a broader clash of civilizations through the domestic melodramas of a strict Muslim Pakistani family living in Norway. The film focuses on Nisha (Maria Mozhdah), a 16-year-old free spirit who is by far the most Westernized member of her family. Unfortunately, Nisha’s ambitions to straddle two vastly different cultures catch up with her. One night, Nisha’s father finds her in bed with a boyfriend and goes nuts, beating his daughter’s poor suitor to a pulp. Next thing you know, Nisha’s dad cruelly drags her off to Pakistan to live with extended family in a small village. Although Nisha initially appears to adapt to her new life, she soon cracks. Again she’s caught in the act of heavy petting—but this time the consequences are far worse. The interesting overarching idea pursued by Haq is that religious dogma is destructive, but it can’t absorb all the blame for the merciless filial oppression directed at Nisha as it becomes clear that her family doesn’t want what’s best for her, but rather what’s best for them: a life dedicated to patriarchal-driven preservation of the squeaky-clean nuclear family. In this respect, the film presents a more oppressive fundamentalist version of "keeping up with the Joneses." A searing portrait of parental hubris gone mad that boasts a courageous young heroine who is desperate to preserve her basic human autonomy, this is recommended. (M. Sandlin)