Twenty sessions were held on the first day of the KLF and the day ended with a musical evening by Pakistani singer Zoe Viccaji and Indian musician Vidya Shah.
However, one session in particular stood out, especially with feedback on social media and this was a launch of Ali Khan and Ali Nobil Ahmad’s book “Cinema and Society: Film and Social Change in Pakistan”. The session was moderated by journalist and former editor of the Star Weekend magazine Asif Noorani and other panellists included Hasan Zaidi.
Ali Nobil Ahmad is an assistant professor at LUMS where he teaches courses in modern comparative history, historiography, cinema and world history. He is also Research Fellow at the Zentrum Moderner Orient in Berlin.
Several people in the audience during this session posted their feedback via their tweets, and almost all of it seemed to be targeting the moderator, Asif Noorani.
Below are some of these tweets. Batool Zehra was in the audience — she is a former journalist who worked for several years at the Express Tribune. Tooba Masood and Sanam Maher are also journalists.
And the prize for the most awkward session of the day goes to Cinema and Society. #KLF2016 @hyzaidi Asif Noorani was unbelievable
— Batool Zehra (@batool1767) February 5, 2016
Moderating tips from Asif Noorani: repeatedly cut in on the writer whose book is being launched, while muttering smthng about ’15 seconds’ — Batool Zehra (@batool1767) February 5, 2016
More tips: shut down writer by telling him audience member wants to ask smthng, then tell said member “u can’t talk right now” #KLF2016
— Batool Zehra (@batool1767) February 5, 2016
@alinobil handled the barrage by Asif Noorani very well. Everyone was confused why AN was so hell bent on criticising. — Saeed (@HawaiFiring) February 5, 2016
Very poor moderation by Asif Noorani for the book launch of Cinema and Society. #KhiLF
— Mehek Ali (@desi_thumka) February 5, 2016
Does anyone at #KLF2016 vet Asif Noorani’s Qs? His session on book on #Pakistani film shd be titled ‘All that the authors didn’t ask me’ — Sanam Maher (@SanamMKhi) February 5, 2016
@SanamMKhi I have never understood how he became a moderator. His session with Sarfraz Manzoor at the first lit fest put me off for life.
— Huma Imtiaz (@HumaImtiaz) February 5, 2016
Asif noorani gets schooled by Ali nobil at #klf session on Pakistani cinema and eastern film studios— Tooba Masood (@tabahitooba) February 5, 2016
