One of the trademarks of an Aneel Ahmad film is how he introduces to us as a character the ambiance or the environment in which the other characters move. Aneel has at the "Checkpost" created a concise, yet minutely detailed and moving film about drone massacres, the political talking heads that faultily try to define or support them, the different perspectives that media may take, the driving force of selfish, monetary gain, and the visceral environment in which they all play. Aneel's talent in bringing together all aspects of life in a land where terrorism only became a daily part of life in recent history is so realistic one might think this film a documentary itself. More than simply making a statement about politics and terrorism, Aneel has shown us how at least the Western media tends to portray these in cold and unfeeling ways that are so vastly different from the real experiences of those who personally go through these tragedies. At the Checkpost we more than see - we FEEL - how these tangled webs of murder, politics, media and emotion strangle the once simpler and "happy" traditional life of those in the 3rd world. We feel the love of a boy for his father, for example, or the loving embrace of a hard working man giving his son the best possible life he can muster. Juxtaposed, we feel the sense of impending doom and the prayers we'd keep if we, too, had to live as if at any flash of a moment life could end. The detail and skill that Aneel has put into the making of this film is extraordinary (as usual), and I look forward to seeing many more of his always poignant films.
10 Reviews
A gripping political short film.
addy-rutter18 January 2014
From the outset, Aneel Ahmad integrates the everyday hazards of the local population with the pressure that the modern media places on the demand of immediate 24 hour news coverage. Highlighting the dangers faced by all concerned, he cleverly relays the impact that one seemingly small incident can have on more than the immediate protagonists as the reactions are felt far beyond the borders of the incident.
Scripted by Raees Mahmood, and with a remarkably small budget Checkpost embarks on a poignant message that entwines emotions with undertones of responsibility towards those in authority and power and scrutinising the rippling effects of such tragedies.
Scripted by Raees Mahmood, and with a remarkably small budget Checkpost embarks on a poignant message that entwines emotions with undertones of responsibility towards those in authority and power and scrutinising the rippling effects of such tragedies.
A topical thought-provoking short film about human values
the_macgregor24 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
A topical short film, shot in fast-moving documentary news style, which grips its audience from the outset, while managing to span three continents, uncovering the human story that lies behind what seems to be a routine news event; the death by roadside shooting of a British documentary filmmaker in Pakistan.
Aneel Ahmad's film makes good use of modern 24-hour broadcast media as a rolling background to his narrative. A truck driver and his young son are making routine deliveries in Lahore, when they stumble upon a tragedy. A documentary filmmaker of reputation, Shahid Elahi, has been shot dead while filming at a rural roadside close to the city.
A simple yet dramatic, tragic, outcome, but the film's narrative uses media output imaginatively to tell the story in news terms, giving impact and urgency, while at the same time uncovering the human tragedies that collide at this same point in place and time.
Checkpost is a thought-provoking short film, a commentary on our news values and style while underlining how relatively cheap human life seems to be, challenging us to decide which is the more important?
James MacGregor
Aneel Ahmad's film makes good use of modern 24-hour broadcast media as a rolling background to his narrative. A truck driver and his young son are making routine deliveries in Lahore, when they stumble upon a tragedy. A documentary filmmaker of reputation, Shahid Elahi, has been shot dead while filming at a rural roadside close to the city.
A simple yet dramatic, tragic, outcome, but the film's narrative uses media output imaginatively to tell the story in news terms, giving impact and urgency, while at the same time uncovering the human tragedies that collide at this same point in place and time.
Checkpost is a thought-provoking short film, a commentary on our news values and style while underlining how relatively cheap human life seems to be, challenging us to decide which is the more important?
James MacGregor
Paul Greengrass -Meets Aneel Ahmad = CHECKPOST!!! Result
djfilms-590-96242510 January 2014
Checkpost is one of the best political short films that I have seen in ages. Gripping!
Last night I was thinking about what to write and I felt a bit speechless/wordless. It was like watching the Jason Bourne series. The film opened with a blast and griped my suspense all the way. It's clever, tense and has great action.
I have seen loads of short films over the years and they look like short films, but this one (Checkpost) is like watching a feature film. It was a real treat and the music acting camera work direction was seriously amazing. A must see.
Checkpost deserves all the praise it is getting. Well done to the entire team, especially Aneel Ahmad, he is one to watch out for.
Last night I was thinking about what to write and I felt a bit speechless/wordless. It was like watching the Jason Bourne series. The film opened with a blast and griped my suspense all the way. It's clever, tense and has great action.
I have seen loads of short films over the years and they look like short films, but this one (Checkpost) is like watching a feature film. It was a real treat and the music acting camera work direction was seriously amazing. A must see.
Checkpost deserves all the praise it is getting. Well done to the entire team, especially Aneel Ahmad, he is one to watch out for.
Tense Short, Political, Drones! One of the best shorts I have ever seen
chadhogan19 January 2014
Checkpost is seriously an amazing short film, congratulations to the films director, you are seriously gifted.
I saw Checkpost at a special screening a few weeks back and I really loved everything about this short film. The directing was absolutely fantastic the pace is perfect, the editing precise, the music was outstanding and this film presents itself in an almost documentary style.
The story was believable, really informative and quite tense for anyone who doesn't understand the political and social elements of terrorism around the world and on how the media can whip up an event. This is gritty and thought-provoking piece of film that would set a standard for films about this subject matter. I am also amazed by the production value. It looks a million dollars.
I also loved the way all the stories were connected, while the scenes in Pakistan created intensity. The news reports were excellent and we should give credit to all the actors.
Checkpost was produced, filmed and written to be a realistic depiction of political social realism in a news hungry world that exists all around us. This short film will appeal to a wider audience. If you enjoy a fast pace emotionally driven story line, great acting in a film... then rock on. This is something you're going to love. Well done.
I saw Checkpost at a special screening a few weeks back and I really loved everything about this short film. The directing was absolutely fantastic the pace is perfect, the editing precise, the music was outstanding and this film presents itself in an almost documentary style.
The story was believable, really informative and quite tense for anyone who doesn't understand the political and social elements of terrorism around the world and on how the media can whip up an event. This is gritty and thought-provoking piece of film that would set a standard for films about this subject matter. I am also amazed by the production value. It looks a million dollars.
I also loved the way all the stories were connected, while the scenes in Pakistan created intensity. The news reports were excellent and we should give credit to all the actors.
Checkpost was produced, filmed and written to be a realistic depiction of political social realism in a news hungry world that exists all around us. This short film will appeal to a wider audience. If you enjoy a fast pace emotionally driven story line, great acting in a film... then rock on. This is something you're going to love. Well done.
Superb political short film
stacey-nash10 January 2014
Wow, fantastic, wasn't expecting that at all, so different from the film directors previous short films.
Checkpost is a tautly, smart and timely commercial short film blessed with credibility and intelligence. It has plenty of excitement exuberance, and a complicated plot to back up.
The performances in this film were essentially superb, especially the boy and father truck driver scenes in Pakistan. It has a fascinating tone that allows the viewer to be enriched with fantastic cinematography and lots of interesting international news bulletins. Checkpost also handles the theme of "Media portrayal" with plenty of maturity and respect.
The film also touches on the issue of "Drone Attacks and Terrorism" Checkpost is a well-done entertaining fast moving short film with great scenes and a multi layered story line. Aneel Ahmads direction is blended with fantastic technical skills. Well done Aneel and congratulations
Checkpost is a tautly, smart and timely commercial short film blessed with credibility and intelligence. It has plenty of excitement exuberance, and a complicated plot to back up.
The performances in this film were essentially superb, especially the boy and father truck driver scenes in Pakistan. It has a fascinating tone that allows the viewer to be enriched with fantastic cinematography and lots of interesting international news bulletins. Checkpost also handles the theme of "Media portrayal" with plenty of maturity and respect.
The film also touches on the issue of "Drone Attacks and Terrorism" Checkpost is a well-done entertaining fast moving short film with great scenes and a multi layered story line. Aneel Ahmads direction is blended with fantastic technical skills. Well done Aneel and congratulations
A British 'Homeland'? Checkpost is arguably better.
FabricESQ13 January 2014
With so much propaganda to wade through these days with regards to US and UK troop involvement in hostile environments. It is refreshing to see a short film from the UK that focuses on the effects our governing/ defending/meddling (delete where applicable) has on the local families who live in these same areas as well as the people who's job it is to report from them.
Aneel Ahmads Checkpost is an explosive, political drama that scrutinizes the western world's handling of war, by placing its media very much in the spotlight. Where the desperate need for a good story in the days of 24 hr news coverage takes precedent over everything else, including human life.
Filmed over three continents and with a script by Raees Mahmood Khan so full of character, subtext and political swipes, it never stops scoring points, Ahmad weaves a visceral, thrill ride of emotion and anger into 12 minutes of film you wish was so much longer.
It is very rare for feature films, never mind shorts, to make you feel something. Checkpost is a film you will be talking about long after the final credits have rolled and one that will be remembered by many people for many years to come.
Aneel Ahmads Checkpost is an explosive, political drama that scrutinizes the western world's handling of war, by placing its media very much in the spotlight. Where the desperate need for a good story in the days of 24 hr news coverage takes precedent over everything else, including human life.
Filmed over three continents and with a script by Raees Mahmood Khan so full of character, subtext and political swipes, it never stops scoring points, Ahmad weaves a visceral, thrill ride of emotion and anger into 12 minutes of film you wish was so much longer.
It is very rare for feature films, never mind shorts, to make you feel something. Checkpost is a film you will be talking about long after the final credits have rolled and one that will be remembered by many people for many years to come.
A masterful political thriller
james-a-coutinho10 March 2014
Aneel Ahmad's short film Checkpost could be described as a political thriller. It is masterful in the way it both builds tension and raises important political questions in the space of a brief narrative.
The first few minutes of the film are tense and intriguing, as the viewer wonders how the three narratives, centring around three very different protagonists, will intertwine. One character is an ambitious but morally dubious British journalist. The second a Pakistani truck driver going about his daily business in the company of his young son. The third is a British documentary filmmaker on location in Lahore. When the pivotal moment of film, an assassination, finally comes, the tension breaks and the pace of the film changes to one of panic and confusion. Clever camera work, precise editing, and a perfectly-pitched musical score are used first to hold the viewer's interest, and then to capture the chaos of the film's dramatic denouement.
The Machiavellian actions of the journalist raise questions about media ethics in an age where the media doesn't just report on a story, but defines what is and what is not newsworthy. The three narratives give us three different perspectives on the same event, and remind us that the political events of our time are far from clear cut, in spite of what the Western media might imply. The chaos of the film's ending is indicative of the chaos of 24/7 media, where events are reported before their significance or context can begin to be analysed. The quiet plight of the Pakistani man and his son is contrasted with the fate of the filmmaker which is reported around the world, asking moral questions of both the media and those that consume it.
The first few minutes of the film are tense and intriguing, as the viewer wonders how the three narratives, centring around three very different protagonists, will intertwine. One character is an ambitious but morally dubious British journalist. The second a Pakistani truck driver going about his daily business in the company of his young son. The third is a British documentary filmmaker on location in Lahore. When the pivotal moment of film, an assassination, finally comes, the tension breaks and the pace of the film changes to one of panic and confusion. Clever camera work, precise editing, and a perfectly-pitched musical score are used first to hold the viewer's interest, and then to capture the chaos of the film's dramatic denouement.
The Machiavellian actions of the journalist raise questions about media ethics in an age where the media doesn't just report on a story, but defines what is and what is not newsworthy. The three narratives give us three different perspectives on the same event, and remind us that the political events of our time are far from clear cut, in spite of what the Western media might imply. The chaos of the film's ending is indicative of the chaos of 24/7 media, where events are reported before their significance or context can begin to be analysed. The quiet plight of the Pakistani man and his son is contrasted with the fate of the filmmaker which is reported around the world, asking moral questions of both the media and those that consume it.
Fab film
dawn-819-63277224 March 2014
Aneel Ahmad is an amazing director and the films I have seen of his have been great films and Checkpost is one of them, this film is one of the best short films I have ever seen. Aneel always has great actors in his films and this film is very thought provoking. If you get the chance to see it then I think you should it is very very good. Aneel always has a great look to his films and shows situations very well. The young boy in this film I thought was a great actor and did really well at the role he was given in the film an I hope that this film, it's director and it's actors win lots of awards for all their hard work.
Engaging,tense, political short.
tanyajanelewis24 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I was lucky enough to watch this amazing short film at a special screening and from the off i found myself mesmerized. The pace of the film is spot on the music gives it the edge.though it actually doesn't need it. You get a real sense of what happens when cultural and political ideas clash,It is almost documentary in its feel like you are watching something that could possibly have happened or be happening right now. The subject matter of drones is a very hot topic right now due to increasing use and their apparent lack of boundaries as this film shows us it appears that the protesting of their use is clearly not abating it. The acting and direction is superb.making this film a must see.
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