Portraitof Life
A painter struggles to portray his wife the way he once did. Portrait of Life is a meditation on love, memory, and the limits of art — a thesis film exploring what happens when the hand can no longer capture what the heart still feels.
Portrait of Life, the short film
Portrait of Life is a 2025 Pakistani short film — an 11-minute drama written, directed, edited and colour graded by Syed Asad Raza Abidi, produced by Dayyan Khalid. It stars Umeza Irfan and Zuhair Zubair, with cinematography by Ghayas Uddin Siddiqui and production design by Faizan Ahmed.
A painter struggles to portray his wife the way he once did. Told through a Van Gogh–inflected visual language, Portrait of Life is a quiet meditation on love, memory, and the limits of art — a thesis film completed on 2 June 2025, from the same director as Janjaal.
The film was an Official Selection at the Anymusic Film Festival, Spain, and its trailer was a Best Trailer nominee at The Monthly Film Festival (TMFF), Scotland.
Festival recognition
Portrait of Life — questions
What is Portrait of Life about?
Portrait of Life is a 2025 Pakistani short film about a painter who struggles to portray his wife the way he once did — a meditation on love, memory, and the limits of art.
Who directed Portrait of Life?
Portrait of Life was written, directed, edited and colour graded by Syed Asad Raza Abidi, the same filmmaker behind Janjaal. It was produced by Dayyan Khalid.
Is Portrait of Life a student film?
Yes — it was completed as a thesis film on 2 June 2025.
How long is Portrait of Life?
Portrait of Life runs 11 minutes 34 seconds.
Has Portrait of Life won any awards?
Portrait of Life was an Official Selection at the Anymusic Film Festival, Spain, and its trailer was a Best Trailer nominee at The Monthly Film Festival (TMFF), Scotland.
Where can I watch Portrait of Life?
The official teaser is on this page. The full film streams on the Cinegma Films watch page with a screener password — email info@cinegmafilms.com to request access.