Dinner with the President: A Nation's Journey

In October 1999, Pakistani Chief of Staff Pervez Musharraf overthrew Prime Minister Sharif's government. Subsequently, the army seized power and Musharraf appointed himself president. The new government took various administrative measures to prevent drastic Islamification of the country and to bring back a civilian administration. Now, eight years later, filmmaker Sabiha Sumar wonders about the state of affairs in her country, where the religious MMA party has been gaining a strong following. Isn't it strange that a government leader in military uniform is interested in bringing back democracy? Sumar travels across the country with her camera and examines the current state of democracy and how the Pakistanis view Musharraf's regime. She approaches people on the street and talks to poor farmers, truck drivers, well-to-do teenagers at a beach party, and religious leaders. Everywhere she goes, she brings up the position of women, which leads to fierce discussions especially amongst religious leaders. Sumar interweaves these images with the account of a meeting she had with the president, in which he explains his ideas for the future of the country.