Wagah

Wagah is a small village in the disputed province of Kashmir. Split by the border between India and Pakistan, it is the Berlin of Asia. Independence in 1947 saw British India separated into two states, one Hindu and one Muslim. And Wagah was divided too, its eastern half in India and its western half in Pakistan. The village's main road now leads to the only border crossing point for many miles. Every evening, the flag is lowered on either side of the border, and this utterly celebratory display attracts huge audiences. "Every day, 20,000 people are coming to the border!" exclaims the young Manpreet Singh. He and his friends are growing up near the border, and they sell DVDs of the show to Indian tourists. Indian director Supriyo Sen and his Pakistani co-director Najaf Bilgrami filmed from both sides and accentuate the theatricality of the event. Almost the only differences between the two sides are the color of the uniforms and the music being played: Indian pop blares on one side of the fence, while on the other, high-spirited Pakistanis sing along to Arabic tunes. Cheerful patriotic fervor radiates from faces that are as similar as the two ceremonies. There is no bitter aftertaste to this celebration -- perhaps because the two nations are closer here than anywhere else.