Dinner with the President

Directors: Sabiha Sumar &
Sachitanandam Sathananthan
Producer: Sachitanandam Sathananthan
Produced by: Steps International in cooperation with DR, SBS, RTBF, Canal Futura, CBC, Knowledge Network, HRT, Czech TV, ETV, YLE, ARTE, MDR, WDR, ZDF, ORF, ERT, MTV Hungary, PSBT, IBA, NHK, LTV, La Red, VPRO, NRK, RTP, TVP, TVR, RTVSLO, SABC, Canal + Spain, SVT, TSR/SSR, PTS, Al Arabiya, PBS & BBC
Duration: 52 min.
Year of Production: 2007
Original Title: Dinner with the President

Winner of: the special Golden Link Award by EBU, La Rochelle, 2008

What are the implications for democracy in Pakistan when secular political parties have succumbed to the Islamic agenda? What does it mean when the army appears to be the only force able to contain the opponents of democracy, the armed Islamists? President Musharraf agrees to explore this apparent contradiction over dinner at his official residence, the Army House.

As the discussion moves in and out of the different worlds in Pakistan a complex tapestry emerges, revealing a society unique yet universal. The filmmaker talks to diverse individuals, from labourers to intellectuals, from street vendors to religious right wing political party members, and from journalists to industrialists.

What is their idea of democracy in Pakistan? What is their idea of President Musharraf’s vision of a modern Pakistan? Dinner With the President questions the role a military leader can play in guiding a state towards modern democracy.

This film is a part of the documentary series Why Democracy? - 10 Films from independent award-winning film-makers in China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Liberia, Egypt, Denmark, Russia, Bolivia and the USA.

The Why Demcracy? series:

Bloody Cartoons

Campaign!

Egypt We are Watching You

For God, Tsar and Fatherland

In Search of Ghandi

Iron Ladies of Liberia

Looking for the Revolution

Please Vote for Me