Film & Discussion | Jang o Gol Bibi (War and Gol Bibi)

The Moynihan Institute’s South Asia Center presents Kamalan Bebagr, Baloch filmmaker from the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore. Bebagr will be joining remotely from Pakistan.*

Jang o Gol Bibi is a cinematic portrait of Baloch women’s resilience in one of the densest militarized regions of Pakistan, Balochistan. It is a story of an elderly Baloch mother, Gol Bibi, who is struggling to survive with her two drug-addicted sons in contemporary Balochistan. This intimate portrait reveals the everyday struggles of Baloch women navigating state violence, unemployment and addiction while sustaining family life. Dedicated to the historical figure Banuk Gul Bibi Baloch—the legendary resistance fighter who fought against British forces led by General Dyer in 1916—this film honors her memory by showing that her spirit of resilience lives on.

“har dora wati gul bebi gon”
(there is a Gul Bibi in every era)
-Balochi proverb

The proverb highlights that, from historical resistance to contemporary survival, Baloch women continue to embody courage, whether in political spheres, by resisting enforced disappearances in Pakistan, or in family spheres, by struggling to feed their families.

*Bebagr will be joining on-line following the in-person screening of his film.

Kamalan Bebagr is an emerging Baloch filmmaker from Balochistan, currently completing his studies in the Film and Television Department at the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore. He began his filmmaking journey in Balochistan before formal training, and his work spans fiction, documentary and music video formats, consistently rooted in Baloch landscapes, vernacular life and stories that rarely reach wider audiences. His feature film Malaar (2020) was widely received across Baloch communities both within Pakistan and in the diaspora and marked him as a distinctive new voice in Balochi cinema. His other works include Nalonj (2024) and State of Limbo (2022).  He dalso served as cinematographer on The Wall.