‘The Glassworker’ Interview: Usman Riaz on Bringing Pakistan’s First Hand-Drawn Animated Feature to Life

Set in a fantastical world that still feels grounded in reality, glass worker It tells the story of Vincent, a young glassblower, and Alize, a violinist, whose friendship is tested by the world they come from. The narrative, filled with nationalistic tensions, class struggle and art’s exploration of adversity, resonates with the challenges Usman faced growing up in post-9/11 Pakistan.

but glass worker It’s a love letter – to the masterful storytelling of hand-drawn animation and seasoned anime legends of the past. Having founded Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animation studio – Mano Animation Studio – Usman’s approach to his craft is deeply personal and painstakingly meticulous. He has previously compared the film to a “painting in motion”, which speaks to the hand-drawn process that separates 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 was no small feat. With no government support and little infrastructure, Usman’s journey was a labor of love, and a bit of madness. After all, who else would spend ten years making a feature film in a country almost entirely devoid of craft?

Yet, despite the turmoil, Usman seems to have created something truly special. Here, we talk about the remarkable journey behind it glass workerExploring the triumphs and tribulations of putting Pakistan on the map and bringing its vision to life.

Excerpt from an interview:

Ten years ago, you started sketching what would be Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated feature. Can you take us back to that moment? What was it about that initial sketch that made you believe it could evolve into something so historic?

Usman: I never came to do anything historical. Initially, I just wanted to make a beautiful film like my heroes and that inspired me as a child. Over time, I realized that no one in Pakistan had ever attempted to create such a hand-painted image. The historical significance hit me years into the process, but my goal remained the same: to create something that could 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 inspiration. How did you strike that balance between paying homage to your inspiration while creating something unique?

Usman: I knew that we could portray things in this animation style that had not been seen before, especially in the context of Pakistan. Character design and overall aesthetic lean heavily into my inspiration, but it’s not just that. Of course, I wear my inspiration on my sleeve; I love Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, Mamoru Hosoda, Satoshi Kon and Makoto Shinkai.

Shinkai, in particular, has been a huge influence on me. I’ve been following his work ever since I saw it The voice of a distant starWhich blew my mind as a kid. His work is much more of a cerebral experience than just a typical mecha fight anime. I’ve been following his career closely, and I’m glad that his work is being widely recognized your name. But I like his early works A place promised in our early days And 5 centimeters per second was hugely influential.

Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises was the biggest inspiration for glass worker. His work crosses boundaries, and I wanted to stay true to what I enjoy watching. We put it into the film without trying too hard to make a statement about our influences. It was about expressing my love for these creators and contributing to the world of animated films.

From early footage of the film, it appears to be set in a fantastical world while tackling very real and personal themes. How did your experiences growing up in Pakistan influence these themes?

Usman: The most influential event in my childhood was 9/11. The world changed after that. There was always this underlying sense of anxiety and tension with what was happening in the world around us – especially in our region, with the tensions between India and Pakistan and the larger conflict involving America and the Middle East. Growing up knowing that war could break out at any moment was tough.

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

As a child, you don’t fully understand these things; Keep doing what you’re doing and find reasons to move forward. But it affects you. As I got older, I wanted to capture that feeling in this film — what it means to be a creative person, an artist, in turbulent times. That’s primarily what it is glass worker The film’s messaging is largely anti-war. I believe war is not the answer to anything. In the end, the people caught in the conflict are the ones who suffer, regardless of who wins. It was important to me to capture that feeling and I wanted to show the brutality of war. Having never experienced war myself but seeing it around me, I felt compelled to comment on it.

Apart from animation, it seems music is also an integral part of the film. I had a chance to listen to the album and your work with Carmine DeFlorio is impressive. How did your background in music, particularly as a violinist, influence the composition of the score?

Usman: Because I’ve been drawing, painting and writing music since I was little, that’s how I communicated glass worker A lot of fun was I would storyboard the movie, and then I’d get an idea for a musical motif or cue for a scene. My piano was right behind my sketching table, so I would draw, then turn around and write something, then go back and draw again. Sometimes, the music will guide the visuals instead of the other way around. It was an interesting experience, coming up with the narrative while simultaneously drawing and writing.

Music played a huge role in the creation process. The film is about art — Vincent is a glassblower, and Alize is a musician — so music is deeply intertwined with the story. Both characters are aspects of my personality, and it was interesting to explore what it means to be both types of people in the setting of the film.

It’s interesting how Miyazaki influenced your craft visually. Did Joe Hisaishi’s music influence your creative process when writing the score?

Usman: The influence of Joe Hisaishi is present in my earlier works, but for this one glass workerI noticed something different. While we share a love of piano, I draw more from Philip Glass and classical Hollywood composers, especially from the 1930s to 1950s. One of the biggest influences was the score and the story Dr. ZhivagoEspecially Lara’s theme.

‘The Glassworker’ is a decade-long passion project. What were the biggest obstacles you faced in bringing this vision to life, and how did you keep going when the odds seemed stacked against you?

Usman: The hardest part was convincing people that the project was worth their time and money. My family and some investors in California helped finance the film, but it was challenging to keep everyone motivated. My wife, Maryam, who is the co-founder of the studio, and my cousin, Khizar, the CEO, have been a huge help, but the responsibility ultimately rests on my shoulders.

We had the usual headache of making the movie, but we faced the added difficulty of making the film in Pakistan, where there is no industry or infrastructure for hand-drawn animation. The animation culture here is more focused on CG and video games, so it was challenging to do something like that for the first time. We built the studio from scratch, trained the team, and launched a Kickstarter campaign to get things going. It took years of dedication, and by 2019, when we finally started making the movie, I had to find new energy to keep going. It was incredibly difficult, but we did it.

The film was just screened in Annecy. How was the reception? And are there any festivals or events in the future where you hope the film will appear?

Usman: Our world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival was a huge honor, especially since no Pakistani film had ever been part of the official competition. Annecy was surprising because it was the most educated animation audience that would see the movie. Everyone in the audience was an animator or an artist who understood how much work went into making it. I just got back from the Hiroshima Animation Festival in Japan, where the film was part of the official competition again, and I got to show it to some of my heroes, which was amazing.

Are you in touch with the anime scene in Pakistan? In India, the use of animation and the sheer love for animation has grown significantly over the past decade. How do you see ‘The Glassworker’ influencing the future of animation and anime in Pakistan?

Usman: Frankly, I don’t see it changing the industry much because such projects are difficult to execute. The main hurdle is financing. However, I hope the film inspires others to pursue their passions with dedication. There is a great quote from Walt Disney that I would like to paraphrase: “We don’t make movies to make money; We earn money to make more movies.”

I just wanted to do good work, and if it allowed me to do more, I wanted to do it. Right now, I’m tired. I was 23 years old when I started it; I am now 33. It has been a very long journey, so I want to take it a bit easier and focus on releasing the film in more territories. I have many ideas that I would like to explore for future projects, and I hope I will have the opportunity to do so.

Would you ever consider cross-border collaborations with more South Asian voices to bring more South Asian stories to life?

Usman: Of course, I would. If an opportunity presents itself, it will be amazing. 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 – were from the United States. The second highest number of views is from India, followed by Pakistan. The support this film has received from India is humbling and I want to release the film there. I know the political situation in 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 whatever it takes.