DOT Desk: Bangladesh Panorama is one of the eight sections at the ongoing 17th Dhaka International Film Festival. The section has emphasized local films and documentaries. It has featured ten recent and acclaimed films, reports The Daily Observer.
This year, the section has screened Iftekhar Ahmed Fahmi’s To Be continued, Arun Chowdhury’s Alta Banu, Golam Mostafa Shimul’s Namta, Shykh Seraj’s Rajshiraj Razzak, Masum Aziz’s Sonatan Golpo, Razibul Hossain’s Rong Dhonu, Monjurul Haque’s Bhabnagar, Anam Biswas’s Debi, Proshun Rahman’ Janmabhumi and Faisal Roddy and Asif Islam’s Pathshala. Among these films, Shykh Seraj’s Rajadheeraj Razzak is a documentary on the late renowned actor Razzak. The 90-minute biopic contains exclusive interviews of Razzak, his unseen photographs and interviews of his friends, colleagues and family members.
Alta Banu is a feature film directed by Arun Chowdhury and starring Zakia Bari Momo, Anisur Rahman Milon and Farzana Rikta. The screenplay, by Brindaban Das, is based on a story of Faridur Reza Sagar.
The film was filmed on the banks of the Kaliganga River in Ghior Upazila starting in July 2017, and later on the banks of the Gomati River in Comilla.
Majurul Haque’s Bhabnagar is also a documentary on the life and legacy of Fakir Lalon Shah. Lalon Shah was famous Baul saint, singer, songwriter and thinker who possessing a versatile talented. He was singer, composer and lyricist of numerous famous songs. Lalon is regarded as one of the pioneers of Baul song as well as he was a social reformer, humanist and philosopher. He was away from religion, cast and racial discrimination and positioned the humanity in the highest position. Lalon was humanist, wrote song being encouraged from this perception of secularism. His songs largely influenced to the world poet Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Pasun Rahman’s Janmabhumi is a take on the Rohingyas, who have been forced to leave their homeland, while Masum Aziz’s Sonatan Galpo features the traditional rural Bengal and its lifestyles.
Anam Biswas’s Debi, one of the most successful local films released in 2018, is based on late popular novelist Humayun Ahmed’s novel Debi. It is directed by Anam Biswas, starring Chanchal Chowdhury as Misir Ali, Jaya Ahsan, and Sabnam Faria. The film is produced by Jaya Ahsan, as her first production from her production house ‘C for Cinema’.
The films are being screened at Main Auditorium and Sufia Kamal Auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum, Shahbagh; Shawkat Osman Smirty Auditorium of Central Public Library, Shahbagh; Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Dhanmondi; National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha and Blockbuster Cinemas of Pragati Sarani.