Bangladesh Film Festival begins in Seoul

Published at 01:49 pm June 13th, 2019

Fifth from left, Ambassador to South Korea Abida Islam inaugurates the festival by cutting ribbons aongside other dignitaries on Tuesday | UNB

Later, 'Debi' was screened as the opening film, which was followed by 'Akhi and Her Friends,' directed by Morshedul Islam. Two more films, 'Sincerely Yours, Dhaka,' directed by eleven young directors, and 'Under Construction,' directed by Rubaiyat Hossain, will also be screened during the festival

The 2nd Bangladesh Film Festival organised by the Embassy of Bangladesh has started at the Yongsan Art Hall in Seoul, South Korea.

Member of parliament and Chairman of Korea-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Group Kim Kisun, and Mayor of Yongsan County Jang-Hyun Sung were the guests of honour at the opening ceremony on Tuesday, reports UNB. Ambassadors and diplomats, local dignitaries and residents, as well as expatriate Bangladeshis attended the event.

Welcoming the guests, Bangladesh Ambassador Abida Islam said that the films selected for the festival depict the culture and social fabric of contemporary Bangladesh. She also acknowledged the support and contribution of eminent film director Morshedul Islam in organizing the festival. However, he could not attend the festival due to his sudden illness, according to a press release.

On behalf of 300,000 residents, Mayor Jang-Hyun Sung congratulated the embassy for arranging the festival. He highlighted the striking similarity between Bangladesh and Korea in terms of defending their own language, which is a common ground in their respective histories of independence. He also observed similar passion between the two nations when observing International Mother Language Day on February 21 by the Bangladeshis, and celebrating the Korean language and writing system on Hangul Day on October 9 by South Koreans.

Lawmaker Kim Kisun stated that the festival will immensely contribute to strengthening the existing friendly relations between the two countries.

Following the speeches, the festival was inaugurated by cutting of ribbons. President of Korean Culture Association (KCA) and secretary general of Korean National Commission for Unesco were also present on the stage, along with Bangladesh Embassy officials.

Later, "Debi" was screened as the opening film, which was followed by "Akhi and Her Friends," directed by Morshedul Islam. Two more films, "Sincerely Yours, Dhaka," directed by eleven young directors, and "Under Construction," directed by Rubaiyat Hossain, will also be screened during the festival.

For the benefit of the local audience, Korean subtitles have been added to all the films with the assistance of KCA.

Meanwhile, to introduce Korean people to Bangladeshi products, some handicraft items were displayed at the entrance of the theatre. Korean moviegoers and the expatriate Bangladesh community are expected to enjoy the festival.