Cacoly’s Nodijon screened at Goethe-Institut
Sheikh Arif Bulbon :
Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, in cooperation with the International Film Initiative of Bangladesh (IFIB), organised the screening of the film titled Nodijon (The River of Colours), directed by filmmaker Shahneoyaj Cacoly December 15 at Goethe-Institut Bangladesh auditorium in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.
Welcoming the filmmaker and audience, Samia Zaman, President of the IFIB, in her speech said, “Almost a year has passed since we started ‘Through Her Eyes’ Film Screening series. It has given us the opportunity to come together regularly to watch and discuss films by women. A bold film about social injustice against women-Nodijon- again reminded me, why we thought it’s important to have this space.” Followed by the screening, filmmaker Shahneoyaj Cacoly and actor Pran Roy spoke during a lively Q&A discussion session, moderated by actor Wahida Mollik Jolly.
SYNOPSIS OF NODIJON (THE RIVER OF COLOURS):
Nodijan, which deals with the social and marital consequences of a man divorcing his wife by using the verbal talaq; first suspecting her of adultery and then realising his mistake and wanting her back.
Set in a village, Ayan is a ‘waterman’ working in a boat owned by a rich man Fateh Ali. At times, Ayan is away from the village for 10 to 12 days at a stretch to earn money, leaving his young wife Shamsi, who is a hair-seller, alone at home. In between, a broker comes to the village to buy hair from village women and becomes a good friend of Shamsi.
A woman in the neighbourhood frowns upon Shamsi-broker friendship and goes around gossiping about a ‘relationship’ between the two.
Ayan returns home, hears about the gossip, beats up his wife and the broker and gives her divorce verbally. But when Ayan finds out that there is no adultery, he wants to accept his wife back but religion stands in the way and she has to marry another man and get divorce from him before reuniting with her first husband. Accordingly, Shamsi marries 70-year-old Fateh Ali, However, Ali refuses to divorce her on coming to know that she is pregnant as he wants the child and beats up Ayan and throws him into the river. But Ayan survives.
Cast & credits:
Producer: Faridur Reza Sagor, Ebne Hasan Khan; Story: Sheikh Zahirul Hoque; Screenplay, Cinematography & Direction: Shahneoyaj Cacoly; Editing: Sohrab Hossain; Art Director & Costume: Pran Roy; Music Director: Emon Shaha; Singer: Monir Hossain; Lyrics: Prodip Saha & Arif Noor; Sound Designer: Tirthankkar Majumder Tito; Colourist: Ritajit Raychaudhuri; International Coordinator: Parvej Rajon; Executive Producer: Iftekharul Chisty; Year of Production: 2015; Release date: August 2015.
About the initiative: Through Her Eyes
Women have been making films from the beginning of film production history. In Bangladesh, we currently see a number of women filmmakers actively creating and working in all genres of filmmaking. However, it remains a challenge for a woman to be a director and continue to create a body of work. Worldwide, relatively few women can carve out that opportunity for themselves.
‘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 filmmakers currently working in Bangladesh and to interact with them directly at the end of the screening.
Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, in cooperation with the International Film Initiative of Bangladesh (IFIB), organised the screening of the film titled Nodijon (The River of Colours), directed by filmmaker Shahneoyaj Cacoly December 15 at Goethe-Institut Bangladesh auditorium in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.
Welcoming the filmmaker and audience, Samia Zaman, President of the IFIB, in her speech said, “Almost a year has passed since we started ‘Through Her Eyes’ Film Screening series. It has given us the opportunity to come together regularly to watch and discuss films by women. A bold film about social injustice against women-Nodijon- again reminded me, why we thought it’s important to have this space.” Followed by the screening, filmmaker Shahneoyaj Cacoly and actor Pran Roy spoke during a lively Q&A discussion session, moderated by actor Wahida Mollik Jolly.
SYNOPSIS OF NODIJON (THE RIVER OF COLOURS):
Nodijan, which deals with the social and marital consequences of a man divorcing his wife by using the verbal talaq; first suspecting her of adultery and then realising his mistake and wanting her back.
Set in a village, Ayan is a ‘waterman’ working in a boat owned by a rich man Fateh Ali. At times, Ayan is away from the village for 10 to 12 days at a stretch to earn money, leaving his young wife Shamsi, who is a hair-seller, alone at home. In between, a broker comes to the village to buy hair from village women and becomes a good friend of Shamsi.
A woman in the neighbourhood frowns upon Shamsi-broker friendship and goes around gossiping about a ‘relationship’ between the two.
Ayan returns home, hears about the gossip, beats up his wife and the broker and gives her divorce verbally. But when Ayan finds out that there is no adultery, he wants to accept his wife back but religion stands in the way and she has to marry another man and get divorce from him before reuniting with her first husband. Accordingly, Shamsi marries 70-year-old Fateh Ali, However, Ali refuses to divorce her on coming to know that she is pregnant as he wants the child and beats up Ayan and throws him into the river. But Ayan survives.
Cast & credits:
Producer: Faridur Reza Sagor, Ebne Hasan Khan; Story: Sheikh Zahirul Hoque; Screenplay, Cinematography & Direction: Shahneoyaj Cacoly; Editing: Sohrab Hossain; Art Director & Costume: Pran Roy; Music Director: Emon Shaha; Singer: Monir Hossain; Lyrics: Prodip Saha & Arif Noor; Sound Designer: Tirthankkar Majumder Tito; Colourist: Ritajit Raychaudhuri; International Coordinator: Parvej Rajon; Executive Producer: Iftekharul Chisty; Year of Production: 2015; Release date: August 2015.
About the initiative: Through Her Eyes
Women have been making films from the beginning of film production history. In Bangladesh, we currently see a number of women filmmakers actively creating and working in all genres of filmmaking. However, it remains a challenge for a woman to be a director and continue to create a body of work. Worldwide, relatively few women can carve out that opportunity for themselves.
‘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 filmmakers currently working in Bangladesh and to interact with them directly at the end of the screening.