Deathly Thoughts/ Dreams Lie Deeper

In 2010 an accident in New Zealand's Pike River Mine claimed 29  lives. I didn't know much about the tragic event but through twists and turns had the privilege to see an internal screening of a documentary produced around that incident. Dave Dobbyn is a Kiwi musician who has been around since the 70s, and he has been commissioned to write a song on that event. As part of the process Dave visits the site and the families, hears their stories and its all captured nicely on film, to be shown later this year on TV possibly. The film ends in a live performance of the song. Dave wrote beautifully and the composition also lends to its emotional qualities, accompanied by a huge choir as well. Its a well made film.

Throughout the screening however I constantly kept thinking about the kinds of events I and we saw in

the year 2013 at the end of which I came to New Zealand. Its probably no use singling out 2013, as we usually experience death as a serial event, our roads claiming more lives usually than anything else I suppose. The school kids returning from a football match, the 6 boys beaten to death, and as a finale to my last year at home, the demise of the garments workers of Rana Plaza. We wouldn't have the budget to commission that many songs, or documentaries, our problems lie elsewhere.

Hope you enjoy the song above, its one Dave Dobbyn sang to the families once while he was still figuring out the song about the 29 men. Watch out for the documentary, its titled "Dreams Lie Deeper".

Related:

In memory of the Pike River miners

Road Accidents in Bangladesh: An Alarming Issue

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Chowdhury Shaheb's Bangladesh

The father tells his daughter about his 'status' in society, and his expensive possessions, and implies that she should look for in a future beau exactly those qualities. Enter the cocky (beyadob) boyfriend, who tells the father that his 'status' is clear on Facebook. What a view of society and growth we have here!

From that ad to a drama seen during the eid programming, a similar scene. Father asks the daughter who his boyfriend of hers is. To that she starts, he's Arif, from a 'rich family', son of so-and-so businessman, owner of a car sales showroom. The father here is at least unmoved, but we still have to chalk it up to some parental glitch somewhere.

Of course, our beloved Ananta comes to mind next, who has many people rallying behind him since he is 'investing' money in cinema (not one yet which didn't star him, and didn't become an 'accidental comedy'). Over an online interview he states that he bought a Bulgari (bvlgari?) watch for his wife, and he doesn't forget to tell us how much it had cost - 22,000 USD.

?

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Udhao: The Review (A+ for Effort?)

I've been waiting eagerly for this one. The trailer had given me an immense amount of hope, and taking advantage of the Eid-holiday-empty of Dhaka City, some of us managed to go and watch it at Bashundhara City.

I entered while the opening credits were rolling, and the intense music had me turning towards the screen stopping my efforts to find my seat. Those glimpses still gave me hope, till I actually found my seat, and saw the opening act done by amateurs. The intensity of the music carried on unfortunately throughout the film, drowning the dialogues even! In retrospect, if it wasn't for the subtitles, I might've been terribly lost. Especially the scene that seemed would be a very strong point in the film - the part where Babu has the letter typed out for Akbar's wife (also shown in the trailer).

In the end, I can appreciate the effort, it has broken out of the usual story lines - romance, and '71. In its quest to attain a gritty film, it probably goes overboard, with amateurish moments and dragging parts. But in its realism of showing that evil doesn't change overnight, it passes. Despite all the flaws I perceived, I am glad it just so different.

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Ingreji, English, Dhaliwood, Ananta - We're out to prove ourselves

While reading an article discussing how we're laughing at Ananta Jalil's English accent (while some of us laugh at his Bangla accent too), I came across this:

 

For a chance to prove yourself too, click below:

http://opinion.bdnews24.com/2013/09/26/ananta-jalil-the-bangu-also-rises/

Cheers!

Update! Freaking Update!

As luck would have it, my comment was okayed on the article, and if anyone had trouble making the 'lunatic' connection, here it is:

Mmmmmm. As someone who is dying to see a revolution, be it cinema or society, I place Ananta at the same level as the ‘gonojagoron’. I disagree that we’re laughing at his accent, but at the bad acting, the ridiculous scenes and the overall kitsch flood. He reaches into his chest and pulls out a CGI heart where explosions take place, a bullet passes through and other animated things. Its a scene that is apparently meant to be emotional! I am laughing at Ananta at that point.

As for accents, before we had ‘English Medium’ education, we had people who could normally speak the language very well, as I see in people from my father’s generation. At some point we lost that (how? why?)and these specialized schools took on a role to fill that vacuum. Ananta came on TV and claimed to be very highly “ezucated”which should form doubts in everyone’s minds. Is he the one trying to reach out to the English Medium/Private University kids? Its often reiterated that he is a successful businessman, and he has succeeded here too. I don’t agree that he is the savior of cinema, as it were. If India had Satyajit Ray who later inspired many a great filmmakers, we should just hold our breath waiting for our ‘Ray’ to come. Ananta’s accidental comedies, should be treated just as that, without lifting him up to some pedestal.

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Eye for an eye (Seven Psychopaths)

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Savior of Bangla Cinema

.... .... ... Or so I am told. 

And the age old question, "What is love?"

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Nillohiter Ayna (Nillohit'r Mirror)

Its been a dismal year. And I say it again today as the news of Sunil Gangapadhyay (সুনীল গঙ্গোপাধ্যায়)'s death reaches us. I have a feeling of loss even though I have read just one of his books, and a few poems.

Translated in English with a still from the movie used as the cover. Buy

I am reminded of the first book that I read of his, a novella titled "Nillohiter Ayna" (নীললোহিতের আয়না), which had a great impression on me. I was still at school at the time, and our bangla teacher convinced that none of us (Chittagong, 'O' levels in the 90s, new school ~ 8 students in my class) was reading much, and to prove it, he said, bring me 4 of your favorite bangla books. I still can't recall what books I brought to class that day except the aforementioned. And I don't know what his plan was when he took those books, and never returned them!

Like often the case with me, I am left with just an impression from a film or a book, having forgotten everything else, but that. Its an abstract sensation that I couldn't express in words, but its one that will cause me to want to get it back. On many trips to bookstores I have asked for it, looked for it, in vain.

Another time, when I had this urge, was for the movie "Pratidwandi"(প্রতিদন্দ্বী), by Satyajit Ray (সত্যজিৎ রায়). This time, it was easier to get it back, and on this occasion it was the first time for my wife to watch it. We were both thoroughly moved with the film. The characters were well made, well directed, and the story of a young individual's struggle with ideologies, effectively told! At the end of that movie, we both noticed that this movie was also adapted from a book by the same name of Sunil. This inspired us to take on another Satyajit Ray/Sunil Gangapadhyay product - Aranyer Dinratri (অরন্যের দিনরাত্রি), which was equally impressive.

I struggle with finding time for books these days, but as people like Sunil pass away, I feel a sense of 'tragedy' in not being able to make time for their books. I have a sense of these times being less and less inspiring for the human race, and with lesser and lesser number of people to grasp these circumstances and to hold it to our faces in the form of literature, film and art.

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Dhaliwood Ways

Dhaliwood Song and Dance, possibly shot outside the country

A lunatic is by definition not attuned to the "real world". On the left, is a shot from a film that was made in our real world - Bangladesh, featuring the one, the only Shakib Khan, who was touted to be the sole actor for our mainstream cinema (Till of course, self proclaimed saviour of cinema, Ananta Jalil [producer, actor, lover, dancer, and stuntman] showed up), and an 'actress' who is wearing a wild ensemble from the Sundarbans in an effort to promote tourism. Though this picture has all the goodness that is cited by most mainstream film producers as necessary for a successful film - Shakib Khan for one, a slightly obese actress who can wear tight clothes and dance, and of course the 'foreign location' where the leading pair can shake their caboose, I don't get it! I leave it upto you lot to please explain, what we've come to accept as our own. I watched many a TV interview and film review programs where these cinema are talked about as the most natural kind of cinema we could have. Of course, I, don't get it!

Try, while I watch this video made from the flash cards my psychologist uses to calm me down.

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Visual Effects: 100 Years of Inspiration (Video)

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Stuff on Satyajit Ray

Found a site where a lot of pictures, interviews and information can be found on Satyajit Ray. 

Visit :

 http://raylifeandwork.blogspot.com

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Chittagong: The Film

I posted my hopeful rants about a film "Runaway" some time ago, and later learned that the film was on the film festivals' circuits in USA and elsewhere. That meant, it will be some time before I can get a chance to see it.

However I pranced on another film by chance today, that comes out of India, but has the name of the city where I grew up in! "Chittagong". This looks very promising too, and seems to be also in the rounds of film festivals. I also learn that there is an Indian Film Festival in New York! Bravo India! Goes to show what you can do when you have properly educated individuals in the arts.

Website  Facebook

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From Tokiz: An Interview with Film maker Tareque Masud

"... কিন্তু আমি মুভি দেখে বিভূতিভূষণ পড়েছি। যারা মাটির ময়না দেখেছে তারা বুঝতে পারবে এটা সত্যজিৎ রায়ের প্রতি একটা টৃবিউট। মাদ্রাসায় আমাকে মুভি সম্পর্কে যে ধারণা দেয়া হয়েছে তাতে এটা যে শুধু বেশরিয়তি ব্যাপার তাই নয়, নোংরা নাচ-গান, হাবিজাবি নিয়ে তৈরি চটুল জিনিস। বুঝলাম, সিনেমা জীবনের কতো কাছাকাছি হতে পারে।"

Read Full Interview by Mahbub Morshed

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Runaway/Udhao - Upcoming movie

I recently through the online social spheres came across a trailer for a movie titled "Runaway". As is custom here, we always have a bangla title, and an English title. The bangla title here is "Udhao", which better translates to "Vanish" or "Disappear". Its is also custom that the titles in the two languages don't exactly translate into each other. However, there was nothing customary about what the movie promises in its trailer. The story looks mighty interesting and the trailer was also well made.


(Details on Facebook.com/RunawayTheFilm)

I blogged earlier about the movie producer/actor Ononto (or Ananta) who has now produced three movies I can count (Khoj: The Search, Goti: The Speed, and Hridoy Bhanga Dheu: Heart Breaking Blow) was on a television show giving an interview. From that I have actually grown some respect for the guy. He is young, and apparently a successful businessman, and he talked about his business sense playing a role in his role as a producer and director. He explained why the lax and inefficient FDC was not the place for him, since he wanted an efficient and strict work-plan, team and environment for making his movies. He may not be well educated, that could be just how things had turned out for him, but his speech is very direct - stating matters very simply, and he made a lot of sense! These are often missing from people with a lot of education gleaming from their speech. The man in the centre with a gun below, is the man!

Related:
Released Full-length Movies By Year(FDC Stats)
Interview with Ananta on The Speed: Do or Die
Movie Review with Pictures  

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Movievolution - Bangladesh

Picking up a fashion magazine, it took me no time to browse till the back cover, and finally, I read. It was an ad for the latest Ananta film "Speed". I hear the producer, Ananta, is a very successful businessman, and this is as far as I know his second movie. I saw the first one "Khoj: The Search", and this is a followup "Goti: The Speed". In both, he is the star actor, the hero.


Back to the ad, it did a marvelous job of marketing it, boasting such things as:

• a Russian Dancers - I assume all women
• a film crew from Gujrat or some other place in India
• use of cameras that are used in Hollywood, etc...

I quickly remembered another movie that came out, "Lal Tip: The Red Point". (Apparently, Tip doesn't have a proper translation into English, but its a colofrul, circular or often leaf shaped ornamental piece, that women from the Indian subcontinent can put on their foreheads, a little above the level of the eyes. Point, however sounds wrong). This movie also boast such things:

One single love story, 2 continents; 4 countries involvement, 4000 actors & extras, 180 different locations, used 3500 individual shots, more than 200 crews at home & abroad, best music, IMPRESS TELEFILM's biggest venture, Swapan Ahmed with his promises = LAL TIP

 The above is quoted from their trailer on YouTube. You can actually catch the trailers for both these films over there - Goti: The Speed (Trailer) | Lal Tip: The Red Point (Trailer)

From these trailers, I am not intrigued. These are not movies I am looking forward to watching. The intention behind watching Khoj was to get a few laughs, even though its from the action genre. For as long as I can remember, India has served as the inspiration of our mainstream film makers. Their films of the late 80's are still copied and imitated. Think Jitendro, Anil Kapoor, shirts unbuttoned near the chest showing some of those man hairs, comic relief characters in the backdrop of a social drama or an action flick, rape, corruption, heroes saving the day in the end bringing feuding family members together.

Lal Tip and Goti are instances of breaking away from that, and many claim that its something we should be thankful for. These are now just imitating the Bollywood movies of the late 90's, or maybe someone like Karan Johar. Good cameras, shooting in foreign lands (France, Italy, Malaysia, etc), item songs (google that if you don't know, can't bear to explain), etc.

My bone with these movies, is the lack of attention to a story. A story that is hard to turn away from, a story that says something relevant to our times, a story that awes and evokes and entertains. Those, to me, are the reasons people make movies.

If we are to look towards India, I'd like to urge our film makers to take a quick glance at this brilliant film "Nobel Chor"


There are lots of other examples out of India which have showed an extraordinary understanding of storytelling and movie making then and now, but I think the wrong reasons for making movies are driving what we call Dhaliwood.

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Dhaka International Film Festival

I am thrilled that we are having an international film festival! I am sad that its so far away from me! I wish the festival was spread across town rather than centered around Dhaka University. I can see the advantages of having it in that area - the Public Library auditorium is there, there are some in the National Museum, and there are some showings in Alliance Francais in Dhanmondi.

I did manage to go up there, and one movie I enjoyed a lot was "Nobel Thief", which came from Kolkata starring Satyajit Ray's favorite Soumitro Chatterjee and the Disco Dance famed Mithun Chakrabartee. Its a fictitious account of a poor fellow from a village finding the Rabindranath Tagore's nobel medal which the thieves have dropped on their escape route. The poor man and the poor village he hails from find themselves in a dilemma to whether to return it, or whether they can sell the medal to bring some much needed money into their village. The setup, the dialogues and the execution of the film was exquisite, and it kept the audience laughing and jeering throughout. I recommend this film to everyone. The Dhaka Film Festival is going on till the 20th, so go!

Meanwhile, the lil promo that was made for the festival is also quite enjoyable:



Not so enjoyable, is the fact that someone is spending a lot of money to produce some mediocre cinema as well:

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Kaadchhey Bangali, Kaadchhey...

কাঁদ বাঙ্গালী কাঁদ

This was BAL's instruction to us. Just like last time, the city is appended with posters with this clear instruction. I was appalled the first time at the thought that our government was giving such a message, when there should have been so much more to do and say about building a better city, better lives, a better country.

 This time, its a little different. I am on the "ON" cycle of reading newspapers (almost daily) and even following the news on television, and I must say, this month IS PRETTY SAD! Worth crying over.

There is a list of dreadful events in my last post, and it leads a big tragedy - the deaths of Tareque Masud, the film-maker and Mishuk Munier, who was the CEO of ATN News and a man in love with the camera. They had started on movies together, leading to a film called "Runway". In the recent days, very little has been happening in the world of cinema that I would call noteworthy, and this man Tareque Masud was one of the few I had been looking out for. He puts an effort into his cinema that speaks loudly for the passion he holds for it. Unlike anyone else, he was taking his cinema to the different parts of Bangladesh himself with his crew, which includes his wife and producer Catherine Masud, enjoying the reactions and debates that would come from his movies. I loved the way he spoke and carried himself - grounded and humble, and how he had partnered for life with a kindred spirit and were doing what they love. Mishuk Munier must have been a genius, since the little I see of Runway now in its trailer blows me away! Breathtaking pictures of the rural.

They had gone to visit a spot for their new movie which had the working title of Kagojer Phool (Paper Flower). A few friends went along with them. The accident claimed 5 lives, and one of the friends was artist Dhali Al-Mamun, who is still on life support. They were traveling in a micro-bus, which ran into a bigger inter city bus from the other side on a bend, where other accidents have taken place before.

Just leading up to this accident, there were some noteworthy news - one stating how 41 people identified and proven as corrupt by the Anti-Corruption Commission who are still working, and some with high positions, in the department of Roads and Transport [সড়ক ও জনপথ (সওজ) অধিদপ্তরে]. Another news, stated that the Minister of Shipping, Shahjahan Khan, was putting pressure on the Ministry of Communication to have 24000 professional licenses granted bypassing the normal procedures, since this man and some of his family, are bus owners. He took out 10,000 licenses on a previous occasion.

The accident of course resulted in a lot of voices being raised for road safety issues, e.g., Why hasn't the government taken any steps to implement the recommendations made by the leading engineering university of the country - BUET? Why are professional drivers still so reckless even after a high number of deaths and destruction? Isn't it because they go unpunished every year backed by the strength of their lobbies? People like Shahjahan? Shameem Osman?

A ruthless businessman, Shahjahan did what was expected, denied that road accidents are the fault of the drivers in front of a panel of reporters (who I assume were quiet either for the fear of their lives, or they did not figure out how to go down to his level and communicate). Any one who drives on our roads and highways, will tell you the buses are driven in the most reckless fashion. The communications minister is now always seen with the minister of shipping. They are the new BFFs, the new Paris and Nicole, only lethal.

Whereas everyone is now sitting at home or even taking to the streets, claiming that these ministers step down, it is unlikely. The ministries they are in, are potent money making ministries and now with the road safety concern in the public sphere, I assume its an opportunity for them to fill new pockets. Even though the PM made promises to review her ministers regularly to make sure they are on track, its clear these people are somehow necessary for some plan.

Everyone is in grief. Talk shows are hosting old AL politicians who reminisce their golden days and state clearly how the party is derailed at the moment. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina expressed sorrow for the two talented individuals we lost in that accident through a PR statement, and that was all we heard of her for a while until last night. She was on TV, referring to her counterpart in BNP, saying that people who celebrate birthdays on the death anniversary of Sheikh Mujib can't be expected to do any good for the country. This? That is all you have to say? The people are expecting you to do something about your openly corrupt and inept ministers! Fire them. Declare them unworthy! And yet, you are silent, anyone is guilty but your office, circling in the old blame game with BNP. Unworthy. Unacceptable. I did all I could to not spit on the TV screen

মিশুক মুনীরের স্ত্রী মঞ্জুলী কাজী, মানববন্ধনে রাজনীতিবিদদের উদ্দেশে: "আপনারা বলেন যে মানুষের জন্য রাজনীতি করেন। এমন মিথ্যা কথা আর বলবেন না। রাজনীতি আপনাদের ব্যবসা"

সড়ক নিরাপত্তা কাউন্সিলের তিন মাস পর পর বৈঠক করার কথা। কিন্তু এই সরকারের পৌনে তিন বছরে বৈঠক হয়েছে মাত্র তিনটি। মন্ত্রণালয় সূত্র জানায়, এই তিনটি বৈঠকের একটি করা হয়েছে নৌপরিবহনমন্ত্রী শাজাহান খানের অনুরোধে। - প্রথম আলো

Citizens want Abul Hossain, Shahjahan removed from cabinet
Mishuk Munier's wife's reaction to the government
আইনি জটিলতায় ২৬০ কর্মকর্তার বিরুদ্ধে মামলা করছে না দুদক
দায় নিয়ে সংশ্লিষ্ট মন্ত্রীদের পদত্যাগ করা উচিত
Trailer of Runway
Dhali Al-Mamun

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Paris, je'taime > New York, I Love You

I thought Paris, I Love You was a brilliant film, and it came at a time when I was finding it hard to find the attention span to watch most movies. The concept of having film makers work on short films around a subject itself was brilliant, and the result was really excellent stories told without any unnecessary elongation.



Now, I just found out that a New York, I Love You is going to be released also! Looking forward to that!

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Political Role Model for 3rd World Countries?

Local newspaper "The Daily Star" had a title on the front page yesterday, something to the effect of "A US lesson for Bangladesh in positive politics ". While I myself admire the political attitudes as reflected through their presidential debates, their speeches and the focus given to the 'issues' at these times, politics is much more than speeches and elections*.

In terms of choosing a role model for politics, shouldn't we rather go with UK? In recent turnouts, there is the Economic Breakdown (was that a headline...? maybe it was termed differently), and that led to an Economic Bailout (definitely a headline). Apparently, the govt. hired private companies to handle the plan and there were no conditions given to the receiving banks, which led to some of them planning expansion with that money, and some to plan executive bonuses. Read More Here. In contrast to that, the UK bailout plan had necessary measurements to protect the taxpayers' money.

I recently caught Sicko on tv, and there was some scenes of patients waiting for treatment outside a US hospital, not unlike the horrible scenes at the DMC here! There is this whole hodge podge of health insurance and whatnot. Why strive for that when we can strive for universal healthcare** like the NHS in the UK? Its taken out on taxpayers and everyone gets free medical treatment, and almost free medicine. Even tourists there don't have to pay for healthcare!

My final point is that of a demand on the part of media and the people for accountability of the political offices. At the time of the wars on terror, one has to say Bush had smooth sailing if we compare what Tony Blair had to do for supporting that war. He had to appear before a committee and defend his decisions and that was broadcast over the news channels. Even when I happened to be there (December '06), there were posters all over London announcing another such session.

All 3rd world countries probably hold USA in high esteem, and frankly, we don't really see much of anyone else from here. USA's media exports are ubiquitious, unlike any other country. During the election, all news except the US election went to the ticker scrolling at the bottom of the screen. But, really, if we are looking for a political role model, we should really look around a bit more.


* You should remember the time when Al Gore lost in elections under some strange circumstances. The events were dramatized into a movie called Recount.
**US is supposed to be the only industrialized nation without universal healthcare.

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Spike Lee Joints are great

after a winding day at work (on a weekend), i came home pretty tired and listless, and luckily i had a movie to make it all better - Inside Man. the movie started off with a hindi song!!! and then the words "A Spike Lee Joint" flashed on the screen... and that just made my day.

Its not the first Spike Lee film i saw, but it was the first time this line amused me so much. i have to say, i forgot all about it. inside man wasn't the greatest spike movie, but it had that style, the urban soundtrack, and occassional pipes, the brilliance of Denzel Washington, and Clive Owen etc.

My favorite Spike Lee movies have to be Mo' Betta Blues and He Got Game though.

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Sunday Bloody Sunday

My XMMS shuffle played Sunday Bloody Sunday today, and I realized, it is sunday. For a person who often forget which day he is living, it comes as a nice surprise at times to find out which day it is. The song had these lines:
"When fact is fiction and tv reality" (full lyrics)

and it made me think of the movie I watched last night called Wag the Dog. It started with a silly question of why does the dog wag its tail or something... and it finished all of a sudden but in between it was total amusement and grins. A president is accused of improper sexual behavior by a girl just 11 days short of the election and its upto Robert De Niro to save him. He takes the help of Dustin Hoffman and his colleagues who work in hollywood to stage a distraction for the public. The distraction in the form of a ghost war with Albania takes the heat of the issue of sexual allegations.

This movie was made in 1997, but watching De Niro and Hoffman plot the war will make you feel like this is where they got the idea for the Iraq war and the last threat on Iran. I see from IMDB the movie is based on a book. The movie is a political satire, and made me laugh. But there is also a hint of a feeling of desparation as I feel that this is how the world works these days in the age of high powered media.

Also starring: Woody Harrelson, Anne Heche, and Willie Nelson!

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