Photo : © LevelK
Desi Kino Cine-club: Screening of 'The Queen of My Dreams' by Fawzia Mirza and 'Makan' by Ghanwa Rana
The Desi Kino cine-club, your monthly appointment to explore the richness of South Asian cinemas (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives) and their diasporas, through screenings, meetings, and discussions. Every last Thursday of the month at 8:30 PM at the Le Brady cinema in Paris.
Cinéma Le Brady (Paris 10th)
About
Screening of The Queen of My Dreams by Fawzia Mirza, preceded by the short film Makan and followed by a discussion with filmmaker Ghanwa Rana.
- The Queen of My Dreams by Fawzia Mirza
General audience • Comedy-drama • Canada, Pakistan • English, Urdu (subtitled in French) • 2023 • 1h38
Starring Amrit Kaur, Nimra Bucha, Hamza Haq, Gul-e-Rana and Meher Jaffri
Synopsis
Toronto, 1999. Azra is a queer Pakistani woman living worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father dies suddenly while visiting Pakistan, Azra is taken on a Bollywood-esque journey through memories, both real and imagined, spanning from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming-of-age in the depths of rural Canada.
"Queen of my dreams, when will you come?"
Between a nostalgic homage to 1960s Bollywood and an intergenerational diasporic tale, director Fawzia Mirza draws on her own family memory to offer a moving debut feature film, both intimate and modest, about kinship, identity, and grief.
- Makan by Ghanwa Rana
General audience • Drama • France • French, Urdu (subtitled in French) • 2023 • 0h11
Starring Ghanwa Rana, Atia Asif and Gaëlle Rillard
Synopsis
It is the story of many of us. Those who left their country, their families, their languages. For a new, perhaps better, life. It is the story of my mother, who left everything to join her husband in France. To (re)build a family life, without knowing what awaited her: loneliness, a feeling of alienation, and the difficulty of expressing herself in a language she does not speak. I, Ghanwa, her daughter, stepped into my mother's shoes to tell her story.
Winner of the Vidéo en Poche prize at the CinéBanlieue Festival in 2024.
Our take on this event
Skip the usual multiplex fare and immerse yourself in a double feature that masterfully weaves together themes of identity, migration, and reconciliation. From a vibrant, nostalgia-infused tribute to classic cinema to a quiet, powerful exploration of a mother’s life abroad, these films speak straight to the heart. It is a brilliant opportunity to experience bold storytelling that feels both intensely personal and refreshingly honest.
On Thursday, October 29, 2026, the Desi Kino film club takes over Le Brady cinema for a screening event running from 20:30 to 23:30. The evening features the short film Makan and the feature-length production The Queen of My Dreams by Fawzia Mirza. Suitable for audiences aged 10 and over, the event includes a discussion with director Ghanwa Rana. The venue provides specific accessibility support for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, as well as those with cognitive disabilities, ensuring a welcoming environment for all to explore themes of identity, migration, and family legacies through these two distinct cinematic perspectives.
Taking place at Cinéma Le Brady in the 10th arrondissement, this event showcases two works that delve into the complexities of cultural heritage. The evening opens with Makan, an 11-minute drama by Ghanwa Rana, which won the 2024 Vidéo en Poche prize at the CinéBanlieue Festival. This short film reflects on the isolation and resilience of mothers who leave their home countries to start anew in France. Following the screening, director Ghanwa Rana will engage in a discussion with the audience.
The main feature is The Queen of My Dreams, a 1-hour 38-minute comedy-drama by Fawzia Mirza. Set in 1999 Toronto, the story follows Azra, a queer Pakistani woman grappling with her mother's conservative past and her own journey toward self-discovery. Blending nostalgic Bollywood influences with intimate family storytelling, the film is presented in English and Urdu with French subtitles.
Tickets are available from 5.50 to 10.00 euros. The screening is designed to be inclusive, with facilities specifically adapted for deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons and attendees with cognitive disabilities. It is open to viewers aged 10 and up.
