‘The Glassworker’ interview: Usman Riaz is working on Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated feature.

Set in a fantastical world that remains grounded in reality, Glassmaker tells the story of Vincent, a young glassmaker, and Alliz, a violinist, whose friendship is tested by the world they come from. The narrative, filled with the tensions of nationalism, class struggle, and the pursuit of art in the face of adversity, resonates deeply with the challenges Usman faced growing up in post-9/11 Pakistan.

But Glassmaker it’s also a love letter – to the hand-drawn animation of yesteryear and the beautiful story of a seasoned anime legend. Having founded Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animation studio — Mano Animation Studios — Usman’s approach to his work has been deeply personal and meticulous. He has previously compared the film to a “motion painting,” saying the hand-drawn process distinguishes it from computer-generated fare.

A still from ‘The Glassworker’ | Photo Credit: Mano Animation Studio

Making such a film in a country where the animation industry is still in its infancy is no small feat. With no government help and little infrastructure, Usman’s journey is hard work and a little crazy. After all, who else would spend ten years drawing feature films in a country where there are almost no such jobs?

However, despite the turmoil, Usman seems to have created something special. Here, we talk about the incredible journey behind it Glassmakerexploring the triumphs and tribulations of putting Pakistan on the map and bringing that vision to life.

Excerpts from the interview:

Ten years ago, you started sketching what would become Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated feature. Can you take us back to the moment? What was it about that early sketch that made you believe it could grow into history?

Usman: I never did anything historic. First of all, I just want to make great movies like the ones my heroes made and inspired me in my childhood. For a long time, I realized that no one had ever attempted to make a hand-drawn film like this in Pakistan. The historical significance has caused me many years in the process, but my goal remains the same: to create something that can move people.

You’ve previously described the film as a love letter to Studio Ghibli, and you’ve cited anime legends like Miyazaki, Shinkai, and Satoshi Kon as inspirations. How do you strike a balance between paying homage to your inspiration while creating something different?

Usman: I know that we can depict things in this style of animation that have never been seen before, especially in the context of Pakistan. The character design and overall aesthetic depends a lot on my inspiration, but not only that. Of course, I wear my inspiration on my sleeve; I like Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, Mamoru Hosoda, Satoshi Kon, and Makoto Shinkai.

Shinkai, in particular, has had a great influence on me. I have been following his work since I saw it The Voice of the Distant Starsthat blew my mind as a kid. His work is more of a cerebral experience than a typical mecha fighting anime. I have followed his career closely, and I am glad that his work is getting so much recognition Your name. But for me, the early work is like The Promised Place of Our Early Days and 5 Centimeters per Second they have great influence.

Miyazaki The Wind Rises there is the greatest inspiration for Glassmaker. His work transcends boundaries, and I want to stay true to what I love. We put that into the film without trying too hard to make a statement about our influence. It’s about expressing my love for these creators and contributing to the world of animated films.

From the early footage of the film, it seems to be set in a fantastical world while dealing with very real and personal themes. How did your experience growing up in Pakistan influence the theme?

Usman: The event that most impacted my childhood was 9/11. The world changed after that. There is certainly concern and tension about what is happening around the world – especially in our region, with tensions between India and Pakistan and wider conflicts involving America and the Middle East. It was disturbing growing up, knowing that war could break out at any moment.

A still from ‘The Glassworker’ | Photo Credit: Mano Animation Studio

As a child, you don’t know everything about it; you just keep doing what you’re doing and find reasons to keep going. But it affects you. As I get older, I want to capture that feeling in this film – what it means to be a creative person, an artist, in a time of chaos. That is mainly what Glassmaker is about. The message in the film is strongly anti-war. I believe war is not the answer to anything. In the end, those caught in the conflict suffer, no matter who wins. Capturing that sentiment was important to me, and I wanted to show the violence of war. Having never experienced war myself but witnessed it around me, I feel compelled to comment.

In addition to the animation itself, it seems that music also plays an integral role in the film. I had a chance to listen to the album, and the work with Carmine DeFlorio was impressive. How did your musical background, especially as a violinist, influence the composition of the score?

Usman: Because I’ve been drawing, painting, and writing music since childhood, the way I approach it Glassmaker there is a lot of fun. I would storyboard the film, and then I would get ideas for musical motifs or cues for scenes. My piano is behind my sketching table, so I draw, then go back and write something, then go back and draw again. Sometimes, the music will guide the visuals rather than the other way around. It’s an interesting experience, coming up with a narrative while drawing and writing together.

Music plays a big role in the making process. The film is about art – Vincent is a glassblower, and Alize is a musician – so the music is very much related to the story. Both characters are aspects of my personality, and exploring what it means to be both types of people in this film setting was fascinating.

It’s interesting how Miyazaki has influenced your work in terms of visuals. Did Joe Hisaishi’s music also influence your creative process when writing the score?

Usman: Joe Hisaishi’s current influence on his previous work, but for GlassmakerI aim for something different. While we shared our love for the piano, I drew more attention to Philip Glass and classical Hollywood composers, especially from the 1930s to the 1950s. One of the biggest influences on the score and the story is Dr. Zhivagoespecially the Sick Theme.

‘The Glassworker’ has been a passion project for a decade. What are some of the biggest obstacles you face in bringing this vision to life, and how do you keep pushing forward when the odds seem stacked against you?

Usman: The hardest part is convincing people that this project is worth their time and money. The family and some investors from California helped finance the film, but keeping everyone motivated was a challenge. My wife, Mariam, who is the co-founder of the studio, and my brother, Khizer, the CEO, are a great help, but the responsibility ultimately rests on my shoulders.

We are going through the same pains as usual making films, but we are also having difficulties making films in Pakistan, where there is no industry or infrastructure for hand-drawn animation. The animation culture here is geared more towards CG and video games, so doing something like this for the first time was a challenge. We built a studio from scratch, trained a team, and launched a Kickstarter campaign to get it rolling. It took years of dedication, and in 2019, when I finally started making films, I had to find new strength to move forward. It was incredibly difficult, but we made it.

The film was only shown in Annecy. What was the reception like? And are there any festivals or events in the future that you hope the film will be shown at?

Usman: Our world premiere at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival is a great honor, especially since no Pakistani film has ever been part of the official competition. Annecy is fascinating because it is the most educated animation audience that will see the film. Everyone in the audience is an animator or an artist who knows how to create work. I also just came back from the Hiroshima Animation Festival in Japan, where this film was again part of the official competition, and I got to show it to some heroes, which was amazing.

Are you related to the anime scene in Pakistan? In India, there has been a real increase in anime consumption and a great love for animation over the past decade. How do you see ‘The Glassworker’ influencing the future of animation and anime in Pakistan?

Usman: Honestly, I don’t see this changing the industry because projects like this are difficult to execute. The main hurdle is funding. However, I hope the film inspires others to pursue their passions with dedication. There’s a great Walt Disney quote I like: “We don’t make movies to make money; we make money to make more movies.”

I just want to do good work, and if it allows me to make more, I’ll be happy to do it. Now, I’m tired. I was 23 when I started this; I am now 33. It has been a long journey so I want to relax and focus on releasing the film in other areas. I have a lot of ideas that I want to explore for future projects, and I hope I get the chance to do them.

Would you consider a cross-border collaboration with more South Asian voices to revive the South Asian story?

Usman: Of course, I like it. If there is a chance, that would be awesome. One thing that struck me about the English trailer was that, when I checked the YouTube analytics, I found that most of the views – 1.1 million so far – were from the United States. The second most are from India, with Pakistan in third. The support this film has received from India has been humbling, and I am happy to release the film there. I know the political situation between the two countries makes it difficult, but if there is a way to release the film in India, if there is a way to get the film to people who want to see it, I will do anything.