Will the winds of change reshape Bangladeshi cinema in 2025?
Will the winds of change reshape Bangladeshi cinema in 2025?"
Bidhan Rebeiro
Film Critic
Author: Film Critic, Fipresci jury of 75th Cannes Film Festival
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
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
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.