Magid / Zafar: The Tragedy of Community Without Acceptance

Luís Hindman’s BAFTA nominated Magid / Zafar is a glimpse into the embers of a romance caught between death and rebirth in the chaos of a British-Pakistani kitchen. Everything is loud, especially the pained demand of a lover to be acknowledged at just the moment when he is to be erased permanently. Needless to say, Magid (Eben Figueiredo) is suffering. 

This POC Carmy Berzatto, whose suffering the score and sound design articulate as the sensation of being on the run from your own people who might turn against you and your own self that you are coerced into turning against, is in love with his childhood friend, Zafar (Gurjeet Singh). It reveals the minefield underneath community and the self-destruction beneath self-preservation—it follows Magid everywhere except the fragile privacy of the walk-in refrigerator. 

Until then, the kitchen is a kaleidoscope of a cage. Shot in 16 mm, the grain complements the lighting and colour palette into developing a stifling landscape. The sonic and visual intrusions cut like the slashes of a frenzied machete at Magid’s fraught conscious, turning the bullying masculine ribbing about his wedding into particularly thorned reminders of what he could be up against. It is the day of his sangeet—a pre-wedding evening party in many South Asian cultures—and no one will let him forget what is in store for him. 

Least of all Zafar, who has only recently learned of his fate. Ironically, and tragically, his appearance at the takeaway has the same sharp alarm as a creditor come to collect what he is owed. The camerawork, blocking, acting, and editing all emphasise the fear he strikes in Magid. An uncle (Ravin J. Ganatra) good naturedly enquires into their relationship. 

The narrative moves into the walk-in well before the midpoint, giving Figueiredo and Singh the field. The two are achingly good at mixing fear and betrayal with piercing grief. Whether with lines or otherwise, they make Magid and Zafar’s history indelible.

The open ended conclusion matures into the beauty and liminality of music videos (Hindman brings his sensibilities from his time with the format). It is a decisive step away from the burning confines of the kitchen and the men, whose cheers steal the air from an already suffocating man. In their pocket world, as the score turns plaintive, loving returns with the binding urgency of breathing. 

There is no need to evade the slash connotations in the title. It contains within that single symbol all the love, heartbreak, hope, and anguish of the story. But the title does more. Magid / Zafar honours its lovers with it—its title elevates them to the status of iconic, historic, tragic romances. Romeo-Juliet, Heer-Ranjha, Laila-Majnu. Magid-Zafar. 

In lieu of a happy ending, what more could one ask for? 

Watch Magid / Zafar Short Film Trailer