Views Bangladesh Logo
author image

Bidhan Rebeiro

  • Film Critic

Author: Film Critic, Fipresci jury of 75th Cannes Film Festival
Film festival: History and theory
Film festival
Art and Culture

Film festival: History and theory

In primitive times, when groups of people caught a big prey and gathered around a fire at night to feast, that was their food festival. The film festival is a celebration of joy in the modern era. Here, it is the hunger of the mind that is satisfied by cinema. Though the idea of a film festival is Eurocentric, its spread has now reached every corner of the world. While people join festivals out of a desire to see stories, beneath the surface these festivals involve matters such as power dynamics, soft diplomacy, political relationship building, and cultural exchange.

The Tale of the Hyena from African ‘Godard’
The Tale of the Hyena from African ‘Godard’
Art and Culture

The Tale of the Hyena from African ‘Godard’

If you are familiar with African cinema, you might know that Senegalese filmmaker and novelist Ousmane Sembène is considered the father of African cinema. You may also be aware of his contemporaries, like Mali's Souleymane Cissé, Nigeria's Umaru Ganda, and Mauritania's Med Hondo—each a luminary in their own right. Yet, among them, Djibril Diop Mambéty, a filmmaker and poet from Senegal, stands out as uniquely different. He is often called the "Jean-Luc Godard of Africa" despite having never met Godard himself.

Exciting few days at the TIFF
Exciting few days at the TIFF
Art and Culture

Exciting few days at the TIFF

Following the repercussions of the pandemic, the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place from September 7 to 17, 2023, despite the ongoing strike among Hollywood film industry workers. Over the course of these eleven days, I watched a total of 26 films and participated in a discussion session titled 'Visionaries.' During this event, my main area of interest was the Asian region, although I also viewed two films from different continents.

22nd DIFF: One of the most successful editions
22nd DIFF: One of the most successful editions
Writings

22nd DIFF: One of the most successful editions

The Dhaka International Film Festival, or DIFF, was the only international film festival I knew. in my youth. The memories of standing in a queue to watch movies in the open space of the public library are still vivid in the minds of many. The public library is now being demolished for a new building. So the National Museum is now the main venue of the festival. However, there is no gathering of pedestrians as the general public has to enter through the security zone. Movie lovers are different; they watch movies from morning to evening and chat.