An opening keynote dedicated to storytelling. Unusual, but not too unusual. The choice of focalising what has always been the highlight of the first day of the ISE to content creation, and not just any content but content of a social nature, tells us a lot about the relevance of the creative theme for the world of systems integration gathered in Barcelona.
“The first woman speaker in an ISE keynote, in the largest and most well-attended edition ever”. ISE managing director Mike Blackman proudly welcomes the many people in the audience and introduces Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. ‘Seeing through the eyes of others: redefining the art of storytelling’, this is the title of the talk by the award-winning Pakistani author and filmmaker, speaks precisely about technological and mental connection, stories that need to be told, and the social impact of art on human experience and decisions.
“Even in the darkest moments, I saw humanity and hope in audiovisual art,’ she says. ‘Can a film really change people’s lives, especially when it comes to human rights and sustainable growth in some countries? The answer is yes, I have personally experienced it in my presence alongside Pakistani women, and not only, and their struggle for freedom. Rulers can get to change unjust laws through the common feeling generated by a film’.
The power of storytelling
Best known for the documentaries ‘Saving face’ and ‘A girl in the river: the price of forgiveness’, Obaid-Chinoy is the first Pakistani filmmaker to win an Oscar, and the first female professional in the world to win two prizes at the age of 37. On stage in Barcelona, in a speech that I can describe as one of the most engaging in many years of attending ISE, she also explored the central role of AV technology in shaping and enhancing the art of storytelling. Sharing examples from her brilliant career, we understood with her how different technologies and channels can put viewers at the centre of the story.
“A story that matters, a personal, emotional and impactful experience that fosters empathy and drives social change,” she adds. The speaker’s career also includes directing, in 2022, two crucial episodes of the Ms. Marvel series, starring the Pakistani-American teenager Kamala Khan. In 2023, the announcement that Obaid-Chinoy will be the first woman to direct a Star Wars film, which will star Daisy Ridley and will be released in 2026.
he narrative, which drives the professionalism and creativity of the Pakistani director, is thus fundamentally linked to the AV market and increasingly influences its constituent elements. Almost all aspects of this landscape, in fact, are driven by storytelling. One only has to think of immersive experiences in tourism and museums, and advertising campaigns spread through digital signage. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy represents one more noble example of how the art of storytelling can inspire, inform and shape the future of innovation.
