‘Sultana’s Dream’ being released in Bangladeshi theatres this time

Entertainment Report :

Spanish female director Isabel Herguera has made a film based on the novel ‘Sultana’s Dream’
by Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, one of the pioneers of Bengali Muslim women’s awakening.

In 2023, this 86-minute-long film premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain. The film ‘Sultana’s Dream’ was released in theaters in Spain that year. The film was then screened at various international film festivals including the European Film Festival, Goa Festival, Filmfest Hamburg, Leeds International Film Festival and others. It won awards.

‘Sultana’s Dream’ is coming to Bangladesh. Star Cineplex announced the release of ‘Sultana’s Dream’ in Bangladesh by sharing the trailer of the movie on Wednesday. Although the specific date was not announced, Star Cineplex has hinted that the animation movie may be released in Bangladesh this month.

Spanish filmmaker Isabel Herguera went to India in 2012 to make a short film. At that time, she accidentally discovered the novel ‘Sultana’s Dream’ by Begum Rokeya in an art gallery in Delhi.

Isabel was shocked to see a picture of a woman piloting a spaceship on the cover. After reading the book, she was surprised to see how relevant the content of this book, written more than 100 years ago, is today! She decided to make a film based on this book and began researching it. After eight years of research, Isabel Harguera produced the animated film ‘Sultana’s Dream’.

In a hegemonic society, women will stand up for their rights; Begum Rokeya had such a dream in her book ‘Sultana’s Dream’. The filmmaker has brought that dream to the screen. Five companies from Spain and Germany produced ‘Sultana’s Dream’. The film uses five languages – Bengali, English, Hindi, Italian, Spanish and Basque. It includes a song written by Bengali singer Mousumi Bhowmik. The song is composed by Tajdar Junaid and sung by Dipanwita Acharya.

Isabel Harguera came to Bangladesh last December. During that time, she visited Begum Rokeya’s birthplace, Pairaband. She also participated in a seminar titled ‘My Encounter with Rokeya’ at the Liberation War Museum in Agargaon in Dhaka. There, she shared her experience of making the movie ‘Sultana’s Dream’. Isabella Harguera said, “Begum Rokeya imagined a story that reversed traditional roles of men and women 100 years ago.

In the story, women work outside, while men take care of the housework. It may seem simple today, but in the context of that time, it was a very revolutionary idea. That a woman, who had no formal education, could imagine such a thing, that’s what attracted me the most. It seemed amazing to me. ‘Sultana’s Dream’ is still silently guiding women’s thinking.”