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Complete
Film List: Shadhinota 2008
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“SWADHINOTA” (A CERTAIN
LIBERATION) by Yasmine Kabir, Duration: 37 min
Gurudasi
Mondol gave herself up to madness in 1971, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh,
as she watched her entire family being killed by the collaborators of the
occupying forces.
30 years later, Gurudasi continues to roam the streets of Kopilmoni, a
small-town in rural Bangladesh,
in quest of what she has lost; snatching at will from strangers and breaking
into spaces normally reserved for men. In her madness, Gurudasi has found a
strategy for survival. Through her indomitable presence, she has kept alive
the spirit of the Liberation War.
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“NAROSHUNDOR” or “THE
BARBERSHOP” by Tareque & Catherine Masud, Duration: 15 min
1971.
Pakistan Army soldiers led by a local collaborator raid the home of a freedom
fighter. The young man they seek flees through the narrow alleyways of Old
Dhaka. He stumbles upon a barbershop, and decides to get a shave to disguise
himself. Meanwhile, his mother takes his wounded father, injured during the
Army raid, to a nearby pharmacy. The Hindu doctor hesitantly takes them in;
he is also a target. At the barbershop, the young man soon realizes he has
put himself in more danger: the barbers are Urdu-speaking Biharis, known to
be supporting the Army. The flash of the sharpened razor, the barbers’ thinly
disguised threatening banter, the knowing looks of the manager, all put the
young man in an increasingly agitated state…
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“SPARTACUS ‘71” by Mostofa
Sarwar Farooki, Duration: 75 min
Set
against the backdrop of Bangladesh’s
Liberation War in 71, Spartacus ’71 tells the tale of a family’s struggle for
survival. Shahid Huda Rumi palys Abdul Karim, who makes agonizing decisions
to protect his wife and twin sons. In parallel to the Roman slave Spartacus.
This family takes a stand against the might of controlling forces.
In order to survive, the family keeps its pro-independence sentiments in
check - much to the frustration of the younger generation. The sons’ youthful
enthusiasm clashes with the father’s pragmatic approach. The elder son joins
the freedom fighters. When the younger son is abducted Abdul Karim is forced
to prioritize loyalty to one son over the other. The theme of betrayal is
explored further when the return of the kidnapped son is guaranteed only by
Abdul Karim’s daughter-in-law taking his place. Sometimes harrowing, the film
skillfully takes on profound themes played out amidst one family’s tragic
experiences.
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“FROZEN TEARS” by Polash
Rasul, Tanvir Aziz Mreedul, Meherun Nesa Faruque, Lucky Osman, Faiz Alam
& Ariful Alam, Duration: 16 min
After
a long nine months war, we achieved our independence. During this period, one
of the most heinous & barbaric killing in the history of mankind took
place, conducted by the Pakistan Army and their local collaborators like
Rajakars, Al-Badar, Al-Shams & Peace Force. The whole Bangladesh
was an execution ground, of which we are yet to learn! Till this day new mass
graves are being explored, like the one discovered in Mirpur by Muktijuddho
Jadughor in 1992. FROZEN TEARS roams around this butcher-land!
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“SHOBDER JUDDHOJATRA” (THE
SOUNDS OF WAR) by Wahidur Rahman Choton, Duration: 68 min
Swadhin
Bangla Betar Kendra was the heart of pro-liberation public communications
during the Liberation War in 71. The radio station was used as a mouthpiece
by the Bangladesh Government in Exile, a Medium Wave lifeline carrying news
of Mukti Bahini operations, the latest political developments, and strong
cultural content to sooth, inspire, and cheer on a besieged population as
well as freedom fighters. This iconic institution was the inspiration behind
many well-known patriotic songs, skits, and drama. To the writers, artists
and technicians who kept it running, it gave an opportunity to fight back
against Pakistani aggression using their own skills. The documentary looks at
the origins and impact of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, through the eyes of
those who created, assisted, produced and powered the station.
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TRAVELLING
FILM SOUTH ASIA 2010 – TFSA’10 DHAKA
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 In February 2010, BEGINNING organized Traveling Film
South Asia 2010 Dhaka – with 12 Outstanding Documentaries from Our Region, in
collaboration of Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) & South Asians for Human
Rights (SAHR). These films were selected from the 35 films screened in the
competitive section of Film South Asia ’09 , the 7th edition of
the festival of South Asian documentaries held in Katmandu from 17-20 October
2009. The selection has been carried out in consultation with FSA’09’s
three-member jury, chaired by Chennai- based cultural critic Sadanand Menon.
Two Bangladeshi films that
participated in this year’s edition, Yasmine Kabir’s “THE LAST RITE” and
Tanvir Mokammel’s “ THE PROMISE LAND”, won 1st & 2nd position
respectively. Renowned filmmakers Tareuq Masud & Morshedul Islam and
Human Rights Activist Shaheen Anam were present on the opening screening as
special guests. Held in Shawkat Osman Auditorum Central Public Library,
Shahbag, Dhaka from 11th – 13th February the festival
was of a great success with participation of the young activists, filmmakers,
students and the ordinary people who took huge interest in the issues that
crosses the borders of South Asia.
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Complete Film List:
TFSA’10 Dhaka
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“AFGHAN
GIRLS CAN KICK” (50’) by Bahareh Hosseini UK, 2007
An intimate fly-on-the-wall portrait of teenage
girls breaking the stereotypical mould set for them by a conservative society.
They become players in Afghanistan’s
first ever women’s national football team. Afghan Girls Can Kick follows the
team during preparations for its first competitive international matches.
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The Battle For Pakistan (40’) by Maheen Zia,
Pakistan 2009
Investigating
the nexus between extremism and Pakistani madrassas, The Battle for Pakistan explores
the factors behind the mushrooming of madrassas, government attempts at
regulation and the socio-political dynamics at play.
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Come
to My Country: Journeys with Kabir and Friends (98’) by Shabnam Virmani,
India, 2008
A journey in search of the des or country invoked
in the writings of Kabir, the 15th century mystic poet of north India, this
film interweaves the stories of two people from two very different
backgrounds – Indian folk singer Prahlad Tippanya and North American scholar
Linda Hess. Where is Kabir’s country? The answer is elusive in the journey through
song and poem into these two lives, brought together in an unlikely
friendship by the cross-cultural resonance of Kabir.
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Children
of God (89’) by Yi Seung-jun, Nepal, 2008
Where there is life, there is death. At the
crematorium at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu,
there are many whose livelihoods depend on the ritual of death. Among them
are the children who live off the food and money drifting in the water after
being used as offerings for the funerals. Aryaghat is a holy ground for the
Hindus, but for these children it is a playground, a home and also a place
where they earn a living. Children of God takes an in-depth look at the
children who struggle just to stay alive.
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In
Search of the Riyal (86’) by Kesang Tseten, Nepal, 2009
They are Nepal’s oil—one million Nepalis that
work in the Gulf, earning only USD 5-7 a day, to keep their families back home
alive. The film explores the Nepali migrant world: young Nepalis from
disadvantaged communities who undergo minimal skills training to prepare for
the Gulf. The disillusioning, sad, but at times empowering, experience of
Nepalis in Qatar, rarely captured due to the Gulf’s
sensitivity to scrutiny of their labour practices. In Search of the Riyal
explores the recurring lure of going abroad that often captivates the
returnee, and, finally, the enormity of the journey.
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The
Last Rites (17’) by Yasmine Kabir, Bangladesh, 2008
Winner of the Ram Bahadur Trophy
for Best Film at Film South Asia ’09, Kathmandu, Nepal
A silent film depicting the ship-breaking yards of
Chittagong, Bangladesh, a final destination for ships too old to ply the
oceans. Every year, hundreds of ships are sent to these yards. And every
year, thousands of people come to these yards in search of jobs. Risking
their lives to save themselves from hunger, they breathe in asbestos dust and
toxic waste. The ship has to die and man has to help it die, as if man and
vessel were united in common bondage. The Last Rites bears testament to the
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Mayomi
(50’) by Carol Salter, Sri Lanka, 2008
An exploration of a young Sri Lankan woman’s
unconditional love of and obligation to her family, the film is an intimate
portrait of the protagonist Mayomi’s struggle to gain independence, while
holding her troublesome family together in post-tsunami Sri Lanka.
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Out of
Thin Air (50’) by Samreen Farooqui & Shabani Hassanwalia, India, 2009
The Ladakhi film industry has been growing by
leaps and bounds, making 28 films just in the last six years. But the lives
of the locals involved in the films are not spent giving interviews and
walking red carpets. Instead, everyday people with full time jobs as
restaurant owners, police officers and even monks double up as producers,
directors and actors. Out of Thin Air takes viewers into the lives of these
figures from local cinema, and provides a look into the Ladakh missing from
post cards.
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The
Promised Land (90’) by Tanvir Mokammel, Bangladesh, 2008
Joint Winner of the Second Best
Film Award at FSA ’09
A tale of statelessness spanning six decades and
three countries, The Promised Land is about the 160,000 strong Urdu-speaking
community of Bangladesh, living isolated lives in 116 camps across the
country.
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Saamam
(The Music) (42’) India, by Ramachandran K, 2009
An attempt to condense the huge body of memories
about a Carnatic musical colossus, the late M D Ramanathan, Saaman (The
Music) is a humble tribute to an unparallel musical genius.
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The
Salt Stories (84’) by Lalit Vachani, India, 2008
Joint Winner of the Second Best
Film Award at FSA ’09
In 1930, a group of Indians led by a frail,
elderly man marched 241 miles. They marched for salt. Mahatma Gandhi was able
to craft an anti-colonial, nationalist movement around a basic issue of
livelihood: the right of Indians to make and consume their own salt.
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The
Way of the Road (60’) by Ben Campbell & Cosmo Campbell, Nepal, 2009
In 2012, a road through Nepal’s Rasuwa District
will reconnect an ancient Himalayan trade route with global traffic. The film
looks through Tamang villagers’ eyes at the cultural and economic flows
through this border land, including a dramatic re-enactment of Tibetan and
Nepali armies in conflict. But what do the villagers whose lives it is
intended to benefit think about where the road will run?
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