13th Dhaka International Film Festival
Cinema of the World: a major attraction
The Cinema of the World section was one of the major attractions of the 13th Dhaka International Film Festival as it featured some hit mainstream films from different parts of the world.
Besides screening three mainstream local films including Humayun Ahmed’s Ghetu Putra Kamola, Redoan Rony’s Chorabali and Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s Television, the section showcased 25 foreign films in festival, which basically promotes art house and independent films.
Films from Iran, India, Turkey, Germany, USA, Argentina, Iceland, Indonesia, Kosovo, Nepal, Netherlands and other joint productions of Europe participated in the section.
Humayun Ahmed’s last film Ghetu Putra Kamola depicts the tragic end of the life of a child artiste of traditional Ghetu gaan, Redoan Rony’s action thriller Chorabali features the life of gang stars and Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s drama Television depicts a story of collision between the old and new social values through the portrayal of introducing a television in a remote village.
Four films from India participated in the section named Paani, Pied Piper, Adhyay and Aborto. Jadumoni Dutta’s Paani depicts the tendency of the politicians of forgetting their election pledges, Vivek Budakoti’s satirical folklore Pied Piper shows the contemporary socio-political status in India ranging from extreme disappointment to almost juvenile hopefulness.
Arup Manna’s Adhyay is a story of the injustice on the illiterate villagers by the privileged few of a village, and Aborto directed by Arindom Sil depicts the alienation of human beings due to the advancement of technology and busy life.
The two Iranian films in this section, deals with relationships between man and woman. Reza Attaran’s I’m Sleepy is a story of a middle-aged man who has problems in establishing relationship with females and Rasoul Sadr Ameli’s film Waiting for Miracle is about a married couple who can barely stand each other even after years of conjugal life. However, things change when they are forced to endure each other for one more day.
The third Iranian film screened in the section, Mohamad Reza Arab’s film The Poor, tells a story of three youngsters, who decide to steal from the rich and to help the poor.
Two Turkish films depict the psychological journey of people. Ruhi Karadag’s Simurgh is a film that portrays the opinions, hopes, and desire to drink tea under the great big sky of six friends who suffer from Korsakoff’s syndrome, having the difficulty of walking or talking; and Forgive Me directed by Cemil Agacikoglu is a story of a man with severe mental retardation who shapes his family’s life.
Another film from the country, Topragin Cocuklari directed by Ali Adnan Ozgur, depicts corruption through a story set in 1945, a time when village institutes of Turkey were increasingly subject to crackdowns of the evil intentions of the army personnel.
-With New Age input
