Bond in Pakistan: British High Commission, Information Ministry jointly host red carpet premiere

The premiere of one of the biggest movies since the pandemic, James Bond: No Time To Die, was jointly hosted by British High Commissioner Christian Turner and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry at the Islamabad Club on Thursday (yesterday).

The red-carpet premiere was a high-profile event attended by Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, Minister for Industries Khusro Bakhtiar, National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf, music legend Attaullah Khan and others.

The guests also attended a special Bond-themed reception. The British High Commissioner and Minister for Information reiterated the deep ties between the UK and Pakistan and the potential for greater cultural exchanges, including in film and arts.

The High Commissioner announced a partnership with Patakha Films run by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and the Scottish Documentary Institute. The programme will work with 10 emerging female filmmakers to build their creative skills and help them produce short films with mentors from across Pakistan and the UK. The films will be launched under the British Council’s initiative ‘New Perspectives’ to mark Pakistan’s 75 years of independence next year.

Earlier in July, UK’s Bournemouth University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for a collaboration in the areas of technology, media, animation and gaming.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner, said:

James Bond is a cultural icon of the UK’s world-class film industry. As we mark Pakistan’s 75 years of independence in 2022, I hope we can have even more collaboration between our countries in the creative industries; the new partnership with Patakha Films is an example of that.

Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said:

I am grateful to British High Commissioner Christian Turner for his unequivocal support for restoration of international cinema in Pakistan. The Bond premiere in Pakistan with cooperation of the British High Commission is a step forward for further cultural collaboration between Pakistan and the UK. I congratulate the teams of the both the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the British High Commission on successfully organising the premiere and screening of ‘No Time To Die’, the 25th instalment in the all-time favourite Bond series.

James Bond: No Time To Die releases countrywide in cinemas today, December 10 (Friday).

Sigma Motors, distributor of Land Rover, an official partner of the Bond film, provided support during the premiere with a Land Rover Defender exhibited outside the cinema.

Notes to editors:

1. British Pakistani Laraib Atta, daughter of music maestro Attaullah Khan (who attended the premiere as a special guest), did the VFX for No Time To Die. Laraib also recorded a special video message which was played at the premiere.

2. British High Commissioner Christian Turner was sporting an Omega watch at the premier in Islamabad, as was Deputy High Commissioner Mike Nithavrianakis in Karachi, courtesy the Swiss watch company.

3. A Bond-themed black tie event was held on December 3 at the British Deputy High Commission, Karachi. It was a star-studded affair attended by business leaders and celebrities including Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui, and Mehwish Hayat among others.

4. Next year marks 75 years of Pakistan’s independence. To celebrate it, British Council and British High Commission will launch ‘New Perspectives’. The initiative will support the youth with their ambitions, equipping women to succeed, and collaborating for a future that is environmentally, economically, and culturally prosperous.

5. The James Bond franchise has featured Pakistan on multiple occasions. In the 2006 Daniel Craig debut, Casino Royale, Bond earns his stripes in the ‘00’ Branch by killing a traitorous Section Chief’s contact in a bathroom in Lahore. In the 1997 film, Tomorrow Never Dies, a senior executive of the Carver Media Group Network reports that his division is responsible for several floods in Pakistan. In the film The Living Daylights (1987), Bond discovers that a hijacked plane is running out of fuel and is forced to perform an emergency touch-and-go landing in Pakistan.

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