Award-winning documentary Paikar screens at HACC in Cape Town
Dawood Hilmandi's award-winning documentary Paikar, about a filmmaker and his estranged father, will be shown in Cape Town on Saturday 31 October 2026.
Paikar, an award-winning documentary by filmmaker Dawood Hilmandi, is set to be shown at the Hollywood African Cinema Connection (HACC) 2026 in Cape Town this Saturday, 31 October, at 7.30pm, IOL reported.
A father, a son and a long journey
Hilmandi was born in Afghanistan and is now based in Amsterdam. In Paikar he tries to rebuild a connection with his father, whom the film describes as authoritarian. What starts out as an intimate family story grows into a wider reflection on displacement, memory and belonging.
After leaving Afghanistan and Iran, Hilmandi made his life in the Netherlands. His parents and siblings, meanwhile, ended up spread across different parts of the world, which the film presents as a lasting mark of war and migration on the family.
The documentary follows Hilmandi as he accompanies his father on a trip back to Afghanistan, passing through Iran on the way. The trip gives both men a chance to return to painful memories and to look again at their strained relationship. The film traces a slow move away from confrontation and towards understanding.
His father is first shown as a restrictive figure. As the story unfolds, he emerges as a more complicated person, one whose character has been formed by his own experience of war and displacement.
What the title means
According to IDFA, Paikar is a Persian word that means “war” or “warrior”. It comes from a nickname used in Hilmandi’s family and carries both pride and weight, showing how conflict can shape a family’s identity over generations. The film treats “home” less as a fixed place and more as an unsettled reality that stretches across borders.
Details for those planning to attend
- Film: Paikar, directed by Dawood Hilmandi
- Date and time: Saturday, 31 October 2026, 7.30pm
- Venue: the Robben Island Museum’s auditorium at the Clock Tower, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
- Tickets: available through Quicket
HACC is produced by the African Film DAO and Holocene Films. Readers who want to see the rest of the festival programme can find it on the official HACC website.
This story is based on reporting by IOL.
