Make It Look Real

In Sakhi’s photo studio in Quetta, Pakistan, filmmaker Danial Shah immerses us in a vibrant and surprising space, a true cultural hub where personal dreams and community bonds take shape before the camera. The studio blends humor, whimsy, and surprises, and each portrait becomes a space where individual aspirations, memory, and imagination intersect.

Through the rapport between Sakhi and Danial, the comings and goings of clients, and the co-creation of their portraits, each image tells both an intimate story and a collective one. Reimagined in whimsical montages, they become explorations where reality and imagination blend with meaning and inventiveness.

Beneath this apparent lightheartedness, the film examines photography as a social and cultural practice. It reveals how identity, representation, and desire intertwine, while exploring how the aesthetics of the images and the dynamics of the studio are shaped by the sociopolitical influences, economic realities, and community ties that structure this captivating studio.