'Made in Bangladesh' to be premiered in TIFF
Award-winning filmmaker Rubaiyat Hossain's third feature film titled 'Made in Bangladesh' is all set to see its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIIF) in Ontario, Canada. The film will be screened under the Contemporary World Cinema category featuring narrative films made by young directors, scheduled to be held from September 5 to 15.
The script of 'Made in Bangladesh' was awarded Arte International Cash Prize at Switzerland-based Locarno Film Festival's Open Door's Hub in 2017. It was filmed for 36 days in different locations in Dhaka and Gazipur.
The film revolves around Shimu, a young readymade-garment (RMG) factory worker in Dhaka, who gets involved with the workers' union while facing her husband's restrictive ideology at home.
In 2012, a fire broke out at Tazreen Fashion Factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 117 workers. On April 2013, the Rana Plaza garment factory building collapsed, and over 1,000 workers lost their lives. As a response to these tragedies, director Rubaiyat Hossain wanted to make a film about the resilience of the young women engaged in the RMG sector.
'Made in Bangladesh' narrates the story of an individual young woman who navigates and creates her own synthesis out of the forces of capitalism, leftist politics and Islamisation. Under the banner of Les Films de l'Après-Midi (France) and Khona Talkies (Bangladesh), the film casts Rikita Nandini Shimu, Dipannita Martin, Mayabi Maya, Novera Rahman and Parveen Paru, among others.
To note, starting out in 1976 as a collection of films from other festivals - a 'festival of festivals' - the Toronto International Film Festival has become one of the most beloved cinematic events in the world, universally regarded as an ideal platform for filmmakers to launch their careers and to premiere their new work.
The festival has been described by many as "the most important film festival in the world - the largest, the most influential, the most inclusive."
Rubaiyat had earlier made a war film 'Meherjaan' (2011) and the urban narrative Under Construction (2015), for which she earned both praise and criticism at home and abroad.
Actress Mita Chowdhury and Indian actress Shahana Goswami, who played the main roles in Under Construction, made guest appearances in Made in Bangladesh, which has been jointly produced by France, Denmark, Portugal and Bangladesh. It raised the main financing from international grants such as CNC, Eurimages, Sørfond+ and Danish Film Institute fund.
Other than the grants, the film was financed by Pyramid Films and Pyramid International, respectively the French distributor and the international sales agent of the film.
