The famous Brazilian author Paulo Coelho wrote in his book "The Alchemist" that “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

This is what happened in the life of young filmmaker Usman Riaz. Usman had a dream in 2014, which was fulfilled in 2024. This dream was not just about making a film but about illuminating Pakistan's name in the field of animation and filmmaking globally, which has now been realized. Pakistan's first animated film of its kind, "The Glassworker," has been released in cinemas and is gaining popularity both domestically and internationally. "The Glassworker" is the first film from the subcontinent to be selected for competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2024. The film has also been presented at the renowned Cannes Film Festival in France. "The Glassworker," consisting of more than 144,000 frames, has each scene meticulously crafted by hand and then brought to life in the world of animation. Usman Riaz has been passionate about music and the arts since the age of four. This passion led him to pursue higher education at the Indus Valley School in Karachi, after which he went abroad for advanced studies in music and earned a degree. At the age of 23, Usman started working on "The Glassworker," and after ten years of hard work, his dream came true. According to Usman Riaz, the initial six years of the film's preparation were spent building the Mano Animation Studio team and infrastructure, followed by four years of actual film production. To execute any task efficiently, having an expert team is essential. Therefore, Usman Riaz brought together talented young professionals as directors to create a masterpiece like "The Glassworker."

Discussing the story of the film, it is an "anti-war film" centered around the characters Vincent and Elise. Vincent's father is a master glassmaker who teaches his son the craft of making things from glass. On the other hand, Elise is the daughter of a military Colonel Amano, and she becomes friends with Vincent. Vincent's father is against the war, while Elise's father is fighting on the front lines to protect his country. This story, which navigates the highs and lows of life, beautifully presents themes of friendship, war, love for parents, and the difficult decisions made under challenging circumstances, making the viewer feel as if they are part of the film's narrative.

One of the most notable aspects of the film's story is its background music and soundtrack. Elise is portrayed as a violin enthusiast, and in real life, the filmmaker Usman Riaz is an expert violinist. Whenever the violin music is heard in "The Glassworker," it captivates the audience and compels them to appreciate Usman Riaz's creativity.

While making "The Glassworker," an anti-war film, Usman Riaz did not anticipate that by the time his film would be completed, there would be wars occurring in various parts of the world. The filmmaker himself is particularly saddened by the war imposed by Israel on Palestine. In the film, Usman Riaz attempts to convey that war not only harms people but also negatively impacts many relationships and human emotions. Usman Riaz has undoubtedly succeeded in delivering his message through his film. The city depicted in the film was partly inspired by Karachi, with scenes reminiscent of landmarks such as Empress Market and Frere Hall.

"The Glassworker," presented by Geo Films and produced by Mano Animation Studios, is being screened in both English and Urdu under the banner of Mandviwalla Entertainment in Pakistan. Recently, a colorful premiere of the film took place in Karachi, attended by a large number of young people interested in media, fashion, and the animation industry, as well as prominent literary, social, and film personalities from the city. The prestigious event was graced by the film's cast, including director Usman Riaz Khan, producer Khizer Riaz, voice actors Dino Ali, Mooroo, Maryam Riaz Paracha, Ahmed Riaz, Mahem Moazzam, Faiza Qazi, Ayesha Sheikh, Usman Riaz, Khalifa Sajiruddin, and others. The premiere saw a flood of colors and lights, with notable showbiz personalities such as Faisal Qureshi, Ahsan Rahim, Saqib Malik, PTV Karachi's GM Amjad Shah, Azra Mohiuddin, Javed Jabbar, and other important figures adding to the event's grandeur. After watching "The Glassworker," the audience stood up and applauded the efforts of Usman Riaz and his entire team. The viewers praised the film's story, cinematography, music, composition, art, animation, and voice acting, reflecting the talent and experience of our young filmmakers. People of all ages took an interest in this film and thoroughly enjoyed it. After much hard work, Usman Riaz has successfully given the audience a remarkable gift.

Usman Riaz, speaking about his film, said, "For a long time, I felt that this film might never be completed. But now there is peace in knowing that we have moved forward. I often tell people that its animation is done by hand. It's a moving painting. In a 2D animated film, every frame is made by hand. Backgrounds are painted separately, and all the movements and actions of the characters, down to the smallest steps, are created manually. This is called frame-by-frame animation. So, you have to create each position by hand, hoping that all these efforts come together beautifully. It's very labor-intensive and detailed work."

Usman Riaz explains, "My grandfather was a colonel in the Pakistan Army, and my mother, when she was young, used to tell me many stories. She always worried for his safety. The costumes of the characters, markets, and scenes in the film reflect glimpses of Pakistan. The locations shown in the film are inspired by colonial architecture in Pakistan. Elise's school in the film is based on Empress Market."

In the early years, Usman intended to make the film abroad due to the lack of facilities in Pakistan for independent and animated filmmaking. However, after visiting some prominent studios in Japan, he decided to make the film in Pakistan. The Japanese studios also advised him to open his own animation studio and try to create it in Pakistan. "I joke about this, saying maybe they were trying to get rid of me at that time, but their advice touched my heart."

Usman revealed that the work was not easy and tested his patience, but he succeeded in his endeavor. In Pakistan, he opened his 'Mano Animation Studio' with his cousin Khizer Riaz and Maryam Paracha, who is now his wife. For the film's production, more animators and a team were needed. Usman said that convincing many team members' families to let them work on the film was necessary. "In Pakistan, if you are not becoming a doctor or an engineer, you are considered a failure. The animators who wanted to work at Mano Studios would say during their interviews that they agreed but that we had to convince their parents."