“Alag” (“Separate” in Hindi-Urdu) is an experimental film exploring the experience of a Pakistani refugee living in the UK, reflecting on the emotional toll of displacement. Through a poetic Urdu-language monologue with gritty, handwritten English subtitles, the protagonist grapples with whether the struggle to seek asylum was justified.
The film juxtaposes present-day footage of Birmingham, UK—a city with a significant Pakistani Punjabi diaspora—with archival visuals from Mirpur and Punjab. This layered imagery blurs the boundaries between past and present, emphasising the tension between memory and reality.
"Alag" serves as both a love letter to the protagonist’s homeland and a poignant reflection on the emotional cost of migration. The contrasting visuals and deeply personal narration invite viewers to contemplate the complexities of identity, loss, and resilience.
