Bangladesh came into existence in 1971, after a fierce battle between Bengali resistance fighters and the Pakistani army. Fifty years after...
Bangladesh came into existence in 1971, after a fierce battle between Bengali resistance fighters and the Pakistani army. Fifty years after this historic event, the country’s future leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s war cry “Joy Bangla” resonates on both sides of the border. Here is a look at how Bangladesh’s filmmakers captured the battle for liberation from Pakistani rule.
Tareque and Catherine Masud’s War Trilogy (1995-2000)
Muktir Gaan documents a cultural troupe inspiring Bengali resistance fighters across the region in 1971. The second, Muktir Kotha, looks at the wartime experiences of Bangladeshi audience members watching Muktir Gaan. Narir Kotha examines the role of women in the war.
Stop Genocide (1971)
Shot and released right in the middle of the 1971 war, Zahir Raihan’s 20-minute documentary features newsreel footage and photographs that draw parallels between the Pakistani army’s atrocities in Bangladesh, Nazi violence in the Third Reich, and the bombing of Vietnam by American forces.
Nodir Naam Modhumoti (1996)
A tragic love story is the heart of Tanvir Mokammel’s film with the liberation war in the background. When Bachchu (Tauquir Ahmed) leaves home to join the Bengali guerillas, his stepfather, a Pakistan-supporting village strongman, forcibly marries his childhood love (Sara...
