The Director
"I am Doctor Zee. I make films that empower people."
My enthusiasm for storytelling first took shape as young child growing up in Pakistan. There, I would walk the streets with music in my head and stories playing out before my eyes. Everywhere I looked, I was surrounded by beauty and culture - life, love and drama. At the age of 13, I got my start in the world of entertainment at Radio Pakistan where I wrote and produced radio dramas and musical programs. It was then that I realized that my passion for storytelling and my passion for people were one and the same.
At the age of 26 I earned my medical doctor degree and did my residency in a burn unit at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. I cared for women who were victims of "Bride Burning." This archaic practice is used as a form of punishment against women who fail to provide sufficient dowry to their in-laws after marriage, or fail to provide offspring. This horrific act is carried out by a woman's husband or in-laws. Many women are burned to death, some beyond recognition. Those who survive often live with unimaginable physical and emotional pain. Even more shocking, is some women burn themselves as an act of self-immolation.
While working at the hospital, I made a promise to myself that I would do everything in my power to bring attention to the injustices I had witnessed. For centuries, women have been mistreated by the men in all cultures. All over the world, women are continuously forced into marriages with men they do not love. I needed to raise a voice for those women through the power of film.
With a renewed sense of purpose and camera in hand, I came to the United States to make films. For the past 12 years I have fully immersed myself into my art. I have written, produced and directed four feature films- 'Night of Henna', 'Bicycle Bride', 'House of Temptation' and 'Good Morning Pakistan'. Each of my films is a reflection of my experiences, and the people I have met along the way. I am working on a new film "Soldier of Love" which I plan to shoot this year.
My enthusiasm for storytelling first took shape as young child growing up in Pakistan. There, I would walk the streets with music in my head and stories playing out before my eyes. Everywhere I looked, I was surrounded by beauty and culture - life, love and drama. At the age of 13, I got my start in the world of entertainment at Radio Pakistan where I wrote and produced radio dramas and musical programs. It was then that I realized that my passion for storytelling and my passion for people were one and the same.
At the age of 26 I earned my medical doctor degree and did my residency in a burn unit at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. I cared for women who were victims of "Bride Burning." This archaic practice is used as a form of punishment against women who fail to provide sufficient dowry to their in-laws after marriage, or fail to provide offspring. This horrific act is carried out by a woman's husband or in-laws. Many women are burned to death, some beyond recognition. Those who survive often live with unimaginable physical and emotional pain. Even more shocking, is some women burn themselves as an act of self-immolation.
While working at the hospital, I made a promise to myself that I would do everything in my power to bring attention to the injustices I had witnessed. For centuries, women have been mistreated by the men in all cultures. All over the world, women are continuously forced into marriages with men they do not love. I needed to raise a voice for those women through the power of film.
With a renewed sense of purpose and camera in hand, I came to the United States to make films. For the past 12 years I have fully immersed myself into my art. I have written, produced and directed four feature films- 'Night of Henna', 'Bicycle Bride', 'House of Temptation' and 'Good Morning Pakistan'. Each of my films is a reflection of my experiences, and the people I have met along the way. I am working on a new film "Soldier of Love" which I plan to shoot this year.