Pakistani filmmaker Umair Bilal details his unconventional approach to directing the documentary ‘As Light as Air,’ which premieres at Locarno. He spent months attempting to film in Sehwan, Pakistan before realizing he needed to relinquish directorial control and allow the town’s natural rhythm to guide the project.
Bilal explained that his initial attempts to direct the film felt counterproductive. “Every time I tried to impose that logic onto Sehwan, it felt like I was working against the place rather than with it,” he told Variety. This realization led him to abandon traditional directing methods and instead become immersed in the environment.
The debut feature, ‘As Light as Air,’ focuses on a Sufi trance experience within the town of Sehwan. Bilal’s shift in approach suggests that capturing the essence of this spiritual practice required surrendering to its inherent flow rather than attempting to shape it through conventional filmmaking techniques. He described becoming “part of its rhythm,” indicating a complete immersion into the culture and environment he was documenting.
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