Entertainment Desk :
A Mro-language film titled ‘Kio Ri Pekra Uo’, known in English as ‘Dear Mother’, is being showcased at the University of Cambridge.
According to a press release from the film’s creators, the screening was scheduled for yesterday at 8:30pm Bangladesh time, organised by the Indigenous Studies Group at Cambridge, said a press release.
Released in 2023, this 67-minute film has been screened at several leading universities in Bangladesh.
Additionally, it has been showcased at institutions such as the University of British Columbia in Canada and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Now, the film is being screened at the University of Cambridge.
The International Centre for Social Science in Amsterdam has preserved the film, ensuring that it serves as a significant document for researchers and cinephiles in the future.
Director SK Shuvo Shadique said, “This is not just a film; it is a declaration, an act of resistance, and proof that cinema does not belong to corporations or investors-it belongs to those who dare to tell their own stories.
We worked with a very limited budget, yet we have demonstrated that the success of a film is not measured in financial terms, but in its power and its ability to preserve voices that are on the verge of being lost.”
He also said, “Now, technology is in our hands; we no longer have to conform to the traditional framework of cinema. It is time to seek new narratives, break away from rigid formulas, and reclaim cinema as an art form.”
The screenplay of the film was written by Saiyeed Shahjada Al Kareem, with cinematography by Hasnat Sohan.
Nishat Rafa handled the art direction, while Baizid Khan was in charge of editing. Mashiur Rahman served as the executive producer, and Uttom Marma Uching worked as the assistant director.
The director added, “The true essence of this film came from the Mro community of Lama, who were not just actors but became storytellers themselves.”
The film has been officially selected for the Aporia International Film Festival in Korea.
