A screening of the Subarna Senjutee Tushee directed short film, Meenalap: Fish Monologue, was held on Sunday evening at Goethe-Institut Bangladesh auditorium. The screening was the sixth edition of Through Her Eyes (THE), a series of film screening and question-answer sessions, which feature women film-makers, organized jointly by the Goethe-Institut and the International Film Initiative of Bangladesh (IFIB).
Dr Kirsten Hackenbroch, Director of Goethe-InstitutE, said in her welcome note: “It is wonderful to see how Through Her Eyes has become a platform that not only promotes female film-makers, but also serves as a space for everyone in the film community to network. By doing so, it helps to overcome the gender biases. ”
Samia Zaman, President of IFIB, mentioned in her speech that, the IFIB tries to work with the young film-makers for capacity building. “It was an honor to be able to show Subarna Senjuti Tushee’s films in the latest version of Through Her Eyes. I am glad to see THE is becoming a gathering space for film-makers just as we envisaged."
Before the screening of the 28 minutes-long Meenalap, another film by the same director, Parapar: Crossing Over was also screened. The question-answer session was moderated by Zahidur Rahim Anjan, President of Bangladesh Short Film Forum.
Meenalap is about the transformation of life while living in a lonely city and about the theme of hope. The story revolves around a Bangali couple who migrate from a remote village of West Bengal to Pune city. They both work in a garments factory, and struggle while trying to make ends meet. They are also expecting a child. The film delves into the alienation and psychological changes felt by the husband and wife, during the latter's pregnancy stage, which will soon transform their life into that of parents.
The director Subarna Senjutee Tushee is a cultural activist, who started her profession as journalist in Dhaka. Then she worked as a copywriter in the advertising sector. She was involved in group theatre throughout her childhood. After studying Economics in university, she worked in television as an anchor, a program-writer, and scriptwriter of film, TV dramas and social welfare programs.
After finishing her diploma in Film Direction and Script Writing from Film And Television Institute of India, Pune, she has chosen to become a full-time film-maker in Bangladesh. Recently, she received Seven International Awards for her debut short film Meenalap: Fish Monologue.
Through Her Eyes gives film enthusiasts, film students, academics, film professionals, funding agencies, broadcasters, rights groups and journalists a regular opportunity to watch films by women film-makers currently working in Bangladesh, and to interact with them directly at the end of the screening.
