NYWIFT Blog

By Farah Qureshi

Welcome to NYWIFT, Bakhtawar Tagar!

Bakhtawar is a Pakistani-Canadian documentary filmmaker and editor based in Brooklyn. Her work is rooted in amplifying marginalized voices through stories centered on indigenous land rights, environmental and human rights justice, decolonization, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ advocacy.

A lifelong storyteller, Bakhtawar grew up devouring books, magazines, and news stories. In her 20s, witnessing the persecution of minority communities in Pakistan, while much of the world remained unaware, she felt a responsibility to bring these stories to light, with the hope of making the world a little more just, one story at a time.

Bakhtawar’s short documentary Naaz, which follows her aunt, Dr. Farah Naz, a healthcare provider in a rural village in Pakistan working to keep her not-for-profit maternal health clinic open amid systemic and personal challenges, recently won Best Editing at the Delhi International Short Film Festival and is set to screen at the Athena Film Festival in New York City in March.

In our interview, she discussed her journey into documentary filmmaking, her commitment to social justice storytelling, and the responsibility she feels toward the stories she tells.

NYWIFT Member Bakhtawar Tagar

Welcome to NYWIFT! Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

I am an emerging documentary filmmaker and editor based in Brooklyn, New York. Having spent time in Pakistan, where I am originally from, and Canada, where I moved to in my mid-20s, I am deeply passionate about stories that spotlight indigenous land, environmental, and human rights struggles, aiming to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and create meaningful impact. I am also passionate about decolonization narratives, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights.

As a child, I was an enthusiastic story reader. Books, magazines, news articles, you name it, I would ask my dad to buy them for me. In my 20s, as I observed many minorities in my home country—Hazaras, Ahmadis, Christians—being persecuted while the world knew little to nothing about it, I knew I wanted to tell these stories in hopes of making the world an easier place for minorities everywhere to live.

However, that didn’t mean I went straight into storytelling or filmmaking in college to pursue it as a career. My path was a winding road that started in finance, where I stayed for a little over a decade before making the switch to what I am deeply passionate about: filmmaking!

What brought you to NYWIFT?

Ever since I started my career in film, I have been super privileged to meet women filmmakers who have taken me on board their projects [and onto] sets, taught me things with patience and attention, and I wanted to expand that community. Being a part of NYWIFT would also allow me to pass this on to incoming, new filmmakers who are looking for mentors [like those] I have had.

Bakhtawar Tagar rolling for a silent, observational film

What initially drew you to documentary filmmaking, and what continues to inspire your interest in real-life storytelling?

I absolutely love how the art of documentary filmmaking allows you to witness human emotions, exercise empathy, and create stories that stay with you years after you’ve watched them. After I watched Union, I canceled my Amazon subscription. When I watched Citizenfour, I recognized how precious freedom is, and it made me question whether true freedom really exists at all. When I watch Yanuni, I am drawn further to involving myself in grassroots indigenous movements and environmental campaigns.

It’s the knowledge of the interconnectedness of everything, the universality of all human struggles, that documentary films convey so purely. That’s what drew me to the medium. And of course, it all started when I saw friends in my early 20s worrying for the lives of their families who had migrated out of Pakistan by sea to Australia in harsh conditions, only because they knew if they didn’t, they’d be killed in Pakistan. I knew these real-life stories needed more attention, and I want to tell stories that I feel a responsibility (and love) to tell.

As both an assistant editor and camera assistant, how does working behind the scenes influence the way you approach directing your own documentary projects?

I definitely see the importance of treating your crew and your participants really right. And the ability to take feedback, or essentially be ego-less, even when it is your film, really helps a lot. Sometimes you are so deep into your own idea of a project that if you don’t welcome ideas from your crew because you are the director, you may be missing out on some great things. I try to keep my mind open for that reason.

Bakhtawar Tagar filming an interview for a short documentary

Congratulations on winning Best Editing for Naaz at the Delhi International Short Film Festival! What did that project mean to you, and how did the editing process help strengthen its impact?

Thank you. The project is quite close to my heart, as the main participant in the film is also my aunt. I have seen her work day in and day out for decades in service of humanity, and it was a story I knew needed attention. I am glad I was the one who was allowed to share this with the world.

The editing process involved a lot of difficult choices, like letting go of scenes that showed her friendship with her midwives or her educating patients to discourage child marriages. These choices were hard to make, but in the end, I wanted to keep only the scenes where her impact as the sole healthcare provider in the village is highlighted. Some scenes also spoke to the prevalent classism in the village and in Pakistan in general—something that my aunt blatantly rejects.

The pacing of the film is intentionally a little faster when we see her at the clinic, which is an accurate reflection of the patient flow there. Her home life scenes, on the other hand, are long cuts. I also made an active choice to use music from Sindhi artists from the province of Sindh in Pakistan, where she is based. One track was repeatedly used as a motif to bring the audience back to the progression of a subplot.

You’ve described yourself as an “artivist,” with a strong focus on social justice, human rights, and environmental issues. Are there particular themes or messages you feel most compelled to explore through your work?

I am certainly very drawn to anti-imperialism and decolonization narratives, and they almost always align with indigenous rights everywhere as well. The European colonization of what is America today, which happened centuries ago, is currently happening in multiple parts of the world, and until all of us understand that our struggles are the same, the world will keep repeating this cycle.

I’m also heavily drawn to themes that explore human greed and capitalism, which directly affect, or rather violate, human rights in the Global South.

Bakhtawar Tagar testing a film camera

Are there any upcoming projects or areas of storytelling you’re excited to explore next?

I am currently working on producing a short documentary on an indigenous nation in New York. The story revolves around land justice and environmental caretaking. Stay tuned for updates!

Learn more about Bakhtawar Tagar’s work on LinkedIn and Instagram at @tagarbakhtawar, and watch her short documentary Naaz at the Athena Film Festival, taking place March 6-8, 2026.

(All images courtesy of Bakhtawar Tagar)