Short film The Flag screened in Rajshahi

Monday, May 18, 2009


Rajshahi Theatre has come up with yet another unique production, "The Flag", a short film based on the Liberation War and war crimes. The second screening of the film was held at the Padma Ranga Mancha last Friday.

Ahsan Kabir Liton, a promising young playwright and member of Rajshahi Theatre, came up with the concept and directed the 34-minute thought provoking film. The film stands out for no use of dialogue. Background score has been done by Bappa Majumder.

Another highlight is that the film does not show the faces of the actors. Actions are denoted by lower parts of the body, especially legs, and hands, and shadows.

A few years ago, Rajshahi Theatre drew much acclaim at home and in India for staging its play "Aronney" on a tree.

Eminent litterateur Hasan Azizul Haque attended the film screening ceremony as the chief guest.

Renowned dramatist and teacher Malay Kumar Bhowmik and Dr. Syed Shafikul Alam, general secretary of Rajshahi Sammilito Sangkritik Jote, attended the event as special guests.

The speakers conveyed that the viewers would have to deeply focus on the film to get a grasp, as it has no dialogue. The film addresses the necessity of understanding the issues regarding war criminals and religious fanaticism, they added.

The premier of the film was held in Dhaka in January this year and had filmmaker Morshedul Islam, theatre personality Nasiruddin Yousuff, documentary filmmaker Manzare Hasin Murad and secretary general of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation Jhuna Chowdhury in the audience.

Prior to the second screening, some editing was done to the film. The film was shot at different locations in Rajshahi and features local actors.

The film zooms in on a fisherman and his little girl, going about their lives, at a village near the Padma river.

Pakistani military men, assisted by their local collaborators, break into the village after the fisherman shelters a wounded freedom fighter at his house.

The freedom fighter teaches the fisherman's daughter the significance of the flag and what it represents. When the razakars (collaborators) try to burn the flag, the young girl takes it as an attack on the dignity of the motherland and runs away with it.

Rajshahi Theatre provided all sorts of assistance, including the actors, with a view to draw a greater audience, said Kamar Ullah Sarker, president of the group.

The cast includes Prokriti, Kamal, Sharif, Shahin, Dr. Jahid, Robin, Tuli, Khorshed, Bakul, Sony, Asif, Rajon, Baul, Shohag, Uttam, Hannan and many others. Mostafizur Rahman Tuhin is the cinematographer.

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