It is human nature to rise above one’s circumstances in the face of insurmountable obstacles and tragedies. Filmmaker Ali Imran Ch tells one such story in his documentary short, Asim Khan “AK” | PARKOUR: Never Stop Chasing Your Dream.
Asim Khan was a young boy who grew up amid tragedy. In 2005, the devasting Kashmir earthquake hit Khan’s home country of Pakistan. Over 86,000 citizens lost their lives, and four million became homeless. In the aftermath, young Khan spent two days surrounded by dead bodies, including three of his siblings. The aftermath of the earthquake had a profound effect on Khan.
Today, Khan has pursued his dream of parkour. Why? In the documentary, he describes parkour as a way to attain control over his body and experience freedom with no boundaries. Khan says that becoming one of Pakistan’s premier parkour athletes was not easy. When Khan first talked about his dream, Pakistan had no parkour movement or industry. He was encouraged to get a real job or pursue other traditional sports, particularly Taekwondo. So he did, but all paths lead back to parkour. Khan found no support from the start. But that is until he finally found success and notoriety.
“…all paths lead back to parkour. Khan found no support from the start…”
Running a quick ten minutes, Asim Khan “AK” | PARKOUR: Never Stop Chasing Your Dream is a beautiful and inspirational film. Bookended by some impressive parkour action, Khan’s story is told through talking head interviews and voiceover testimonials. The cinematography in this short is spectacular, considering it’s a low-budget documentary from Pakistan. Director Ali Imran Ch makes excellent use of handheld cameras, drones, and a few other cinematic tricks I’m still trying to figure out.
Ali Imran Ch’s short film is about Khan’s powerful tale of hope and following your dreams. However, I do wish there was a lot more parkour featuring Khan and his parkour crew. Like Khan’s life, parkour is the closest style of athleticism to feeling like actual superhero action.
Asim Khan “AK” | PARKOUR: Never Stop Chasing Your Dream is the inspirational story of Asim Khan. It spotlights his drive and determination to follow his passion and fulfill his dream of parkour when no one else around him thought it was possible and told him to be more realistic about his plans.
For screening information about Asim Khan “AK” | PARKOUR: Never Stop Chasing Your Dream, visit the Your Everyday Heroes official website.
"…beautiful and inspirational..."
We strongly believe in your struggle. We are proud of u young khan. Keep up chasing your dreams. L8ve long and be happy dear.