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''Matir Moina'' ( bn, মাটির ময়না; also known in English as ''The Clay Bird'') is a 2002
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
-
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
film was written and directed by
Tareque Masud Tareque Masud (6 December 1956 – 13 August 2011) was a Cinema of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi independent film director, film producer, screenwriter and lyricist. He first found success with the films ''Muktir Gaan'' (1995) and ''Matir Moina'' (2002), ...
. It was his debut feature film. Based on Tareque's story the screenplay was co-written by Tareque and
Catherine Masud Catherine Masud ( bn, ক্যাথরিন মাসুদ) is an American-born filmmaker, residing in Bangladesh from 1995–2015. She now lives in the United States. She has collaborated with her husband & filmmaking partner Tareque Masud ...
. In the film, Tareque's childhood experience is revealed against the backdrop of
1969 Mass uprising in East Pakistan The 1969 mass uprising in East Pakistan ( bn, ঊনসত্তরের গণঅভ্যুত্থান, lit=69’s Mass uprising) was a democratic political movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The uprising consisted of a series of m ...
on the eve of Bangladesh Liberation War. The film stars Nurul Islam Bablu, Russell Farazi,
Jayanta Chattopadhyay Jayanto Chattopadhyay (born 28 July 1946) is a Bangladeshi actor and reciter. He studied in English literature from Calcutta University. He portrayed the famous character Misir Ali in a television drama named ''Trishna''. Works Films * '' Ada ...
,
Rokeya Prachy Rokeya Prachy is a Bangladeshi theater, television and film actress and director. Career Prachy got her acting breakthrough in Morshedul Islam's film '' Dukhai'' in 1997. Her first directorial work was a docufiction for Channel I in 2009. She lat ...
, Soaeb Islam and Lameesa R. Reemjheem in the lead role. The film deals with its historical references during the independence of Bangladesh. It portrays the experiences of a young protagonist, his family, his teachers and his life at the madrasah. Production began with initial funding from the
French government The Government of France (French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who i ...
. The film was officially screened on 15 May 2002 at the 55th Cannes Film Festival. Produced by Catherine Masud, the film grossed about at the box office after its release. The film was initially banned in Bangladesh. After the expulsion order was revoked,
VCD Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as Compact Disc Digital Video) is a home video format and the first format for distributing films on standard optical discs. The format was widely adopted in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the ...
and DVD version of the film were released on 17 April 2005 by Laser Vision. In 2002, as the first Bangladeshi film, it won the FIPRESCI Prize in section
Directors' Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festiv ...
at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
. In 2004, the film won the National Film Awards for Best Child Artist and Best Screenplay. The film also won various domestic and international awards, including awards in five categories at the 24th Bachsas Awards. It was Bangladesh's first submission for
Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
category at the
75th Academy Awards The 75th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 23, 2003, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly ...
in 2002.


Plot

The film is set in the late 1960s, during the unrest period in
East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...
leading up to the
Bangladesh War of Liberation The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali n ...
. The story of a small village family which come to grips with their culture, faith, tradition, and the brutal political changes. The autobiographical film, set against the backdrop of the director's childhood, is based on the life story which pictured by a teenage character named Anu (Nurul Islam Bablu). He lives with his
fundamentalist Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishi ...
- Muslim father, Kazi (
Jayanta Chattopadhyay Jayanto Chattopadhyay (born 28 July 1946) is a Bangladeshi actor and reciter. He studied in English literature from Calcutta University. He portrayed the famous character Misir Ali in a television drama named ''Trishna''. Works Films * '' Ada ...
), who practices
homoeopathic Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths, believe that a substance that causes symptoms of a di ...
medicines. His mother, Ayesha (
Rokeya Prachy Rokeya Prachy is a Bangladeshi theater, television and film actress and director. Career Prachy got her acting breakthrough in Morshedul Islam's film '' Dukhai'' in 1997. Her first directorial work was a docufiction for Channel I in 2009. She lat ...
) was once a spirited girl, but after her marriage, she becomes sullen in subservience to her fundamentalist husband. Anu has a little sister named Asma. Kazi's younger brother Milon is involved in local politics who protesting against Pakistan's military rule. Milon also follows the
Left-wing politics Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soc ...
. Despite Kazi's dislike, Milon took Anu to see
Hindu festivals Across the globe, Hindus celebrate a diverse number of festivals and celebrations, typically marking events from ancient India and often coinciding with seasonal changes. These celebrations take place either on a fixed annual date on the solar ...
and
Canoe sprint Canoe sprint is a water sport in which athletes race canoes or kayaks on calm water. Overview Race categories vary by the number of athletes in the boat, the length of the course, and whether the boat is a canoe or kayak. Canoe sprints are s ...
. The film depicts the culture of
secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...
Bengal, such as
folk-songs Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
,
Puthi A Puthi ( bn, পুঁথি, Nagari: , Perso-Arab: پوتھی), is a book or writing of poetic fairy tales and religious stories of Bengal and present-day East India, which were read by a senior "educated" person while others would listen. This ...
recitation, Chaitra Sankranti or
Charak Puja Charak Puja or Charak Mela (also known as ''Cadak'', ''Chadak'', ''Nil Puja'' and ''Hajrha Puja'') is a Hindu folk festival held in honor of the deity Shiva. The festival is observed in the India, in the state of West Bengal, and in Bangladesh ...
,
embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...
, rural fairs, Bahas etc. Finally, Kazi sent Anu to a
Madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
(Islamic school) because of his religious beliefs. At the Madrasa, Anu met and befriended Rokon (Russell Farazi), an outcast student, who invites him to play catch with an imaginary ball. Rokon's role is different than other students. After all, Anu tried to adjust to life away from home. Suddenly his younger sister Asma falls ill and dies because of Kazi's refusal to use modern medicines. On the other hands, at the Madrasa Rokon suffer an eccentric misfit and forced by the headmaster to undergo an exorcism by ducking in the freezing pond to cure himself of
Jinn Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources) – are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic mytho ...
. As the political upheaval reached a critical stage, internal crises began to occur in Anu's family. As political divisions intensified, moderate and extremist ideologies developed in Anu's Madrasa and growing divisions arose. The same picture of division is seen in Anu's family and her independent mother Ayesha. Kazi, who still believes in the religious unity of Pakistan, in the face of cruel, contradictory events. A shattering political development then changes their town, their life, and the inner dynamics of the family, including the patriarch's role. The film, which focuses on religious liberalism, cultural diversity and the incomprehensibility of Islam, has universal relevance in a troubled world.


Cast

; Other Madrasa Students


Pre-production

Since many years, Tareque and
Catherine Masud Catherine Masud ( bn, ক্যাথরিন মাসুদ) is an American-born filmmaker, residing in Bangladesh from 1995–2015. She now lives in the United States. She has collaborated with her husband & filmmaking partner Tareque Masud ...
were planning to make a
feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing characteristic of a software item ...
based on Tareque's childhood experience at the
Madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
(Islamic school) during the late 1960s in the
East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...
(now
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
). That was a turbulent period in the
history of Bangladesh Civilisational history of Bangladesh previously known as East Bengal, dates back over four millennia, to the Chalcolithic. The country's early documented history featured successions of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms and empires, vying for region ...
. Before liberation its eastern wing Islamic State of Pakistan was divided into a strong secular and democratic movement and a pro-Islamic
military junta A military junta () is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the national and local junta organized by the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion of Spain in ...
bent on stifling dissent and reform which leads to
1969 Mass uprising in East Pakistan The 1969 mass uprising in East Pakistan ( bn, ঊনসত্তরের গণঅভ্যুত্থান, lit=69’s Mass uprising) was a democratic political movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The uprising consisted of a series of m ...
. The film contents reference to historical events. In this film, Masud wanted to tell his autobiographical story through the childish vision. In May 2000, based on the quality of the screenplay they received a grant from the
French Ministry of Culture and Communication The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visual, ...
and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs Fonds Sud (South Fund) for the production of films. This grant also covered the film stock, 35 mm camera equipment and necessary laboratory facilities. Later, Paris-based production and distribution company Mk2, was contracted to co-produce and distribute the film internationally. Multiple producers co-produced the film with Catherine.


Production

At the end of 2000, a year and a half of film production began in Bhanga, Faridpur. Masood and Catherine invested almost their entire savings in projects involving ambitious massive seasonal shooting and timing publication design. The characters made up entirely of non-professional actors, including street children, Madrasa students-teachers, rural
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...
musicians and villagers. As the first Bangladeshi feature, ''Matir Moina'' using the live sound recording to capture spontaneous performances and live ambience. The film was also shot on actual locations in rural settings and small towns in
Dhamrai Dhamrai ( bn, ধামরাই) is an upazila of Dhaka District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Geography Dhamrai Upazila is located about 40 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Dhaka. It is one of the six Upazilas of the Dhaka di ...
and Faridpur, during all winter, monsoon and spring seasons. It was completed in early 2002.


Post-production


Music and soundtrack


Release


Screening

As the first Bangladeshi feature film, it was initially screened on 15 May 2002 at the 55th Cannes Film Festival in
Directors' Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festiv ...
section. In addition to its commercial release in Europe and Americas, the film was screened at multiple festivals in later years. In August 2002, the film was screened at the
Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is a film festival that runs for two weeks in June each year. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all ti ...
and the
Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF; french: le Festival des Films du Monde) was one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF (although the Toronto Interna ...
in Canada. In the same year on 9 October it was screened at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain, and the
Cairo International Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival ( ar, مهرجان القاهرة السينمائي الدولي) is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year si ...
in Egypt. On 11 January 2003, the film was screened at the
Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs International Film Festival (sometimes stylized shortly as PSIFF) is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. Originally promoted by Mayor Sonny Bono and then sponsored by Nortel,here for Table of Contents it started in 1989 ...
in the United States. In the same year on 9 February, it was screened at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
. On 5 April 2003, the film was selected at the New Directors/New Film Festival, jointly organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York City and the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
. It was screened on 17 December at the 8th
International Film Festival of Kerala The International Film Festival of Kerala (abbreviated as IFFK) is a film festival held annually in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. This film festival started in 1996 and is hosted by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy ...
in India. On 15 February 2004, the film was screened at the
Dublin International Film Festival The Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF; ) is an annual film festival held in Dublin, Ireland, since 2003. History Dublin International Film Festival was established in 2003. It was revived by Michael Dwyer, international film critic and ' ...
in Ireland. A press screening was held on 24 March. In 2015, ''Matir Moina'' was screened at
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy ( bn, শিল্পকলা একাডেমি; National Academy of Fine and Performing Arts) is the principal state-sponsored national cultural center of Bangladesh. History It is the national academy of f ...
as the inaugural film at the Bangladesh Film Festival. In 2016, an exhibition of the film was organized at the Indian embassy at the initiative of the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In April 2019, the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, organized an exhibition of the film in Karachi in collaboration with the
Goethe-Institut Dhaka The Goethe-Institut Dhaka fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German culture, society and politics. This includes the exchange of films, music, theatre, and literature. Goethe cultural societies, reading rooms, and exam ...
.


Commercial release

Outside its home country, the film was initially released in theatres in France. Due to its ban, the film was not initially screened commercially in Bangladesh. However, the film was later released commercially in only two theatres in
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
. The film was released on 30 April 2004 in New York and San Francisco coastal theatres. In October 2002, the film was released in Dhaka. Later year, on 4 July 2003, it was released commercially in the United Kingdom as the first Bangladeshi film. In the same year on 14 August, it was recorded due to a 4-week long exhibition in Dhaka. The film was re-released commercially on 29 July 2006 in
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
, India.


Controversy and censorship

After the initial screening at Cannes, the film got international press coverage for its positive portrayal of Bangladesh as well as its tolerant traditions. Due to its religious content the film was banned from public screening in the country by the
Bangladesh Film Censor Board Bangladesh Film Censor Board is a regulatory agency that is responsible for the censorship of movies and is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. History The censor board was set up in 1977 following the framing of Bangladesh Censorship of Film Rules. ...
. The ban also claimed that it provided a distorted image of the
madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
system in the
sub-continent A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
. After a massive campaign against the ban was launched in the Bangladeshi media and on the Internet, there was pressure on the
Bangladeshi Government The Cabinet of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের মন্ত্রিসভা) is the chief executive body of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The cabinet is the collective decision-making body of the entire government under ...
to revoke the ban. Tareq and Catherine Masud brought a case against the ban in the
Bangladesh Supreme Court, Appellate Division The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh is the appellate court in Bangladesh. The Appellate Division is the final court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases, with appellate review authority over judgements of the High Co ...
, and the decision in their favor was reversed. As a result, the film was allowed to be released in Bangladesh in late 2002.


Television broadcasting

Channel Four Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service in ...
, the UK-based public service television broadcasting company, bought the broadcasting rights from ICA, the UK distributor of the film. In July 2005, as the first Bangladeshi film it was on-air in UK television. The film was later televised in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
on 26 September 2006, and in the United Kingdom on 20 December 2006.


Critical reception

''Matir Moina'' mainly received positive reviews from critics, viewers and film connoisseurs, who commented on the film's historical and social impact. The film received an average rating of 4/5 on the movie review website Allmovie. The French film database AlloCiné has an average rating of 3.5/5 based on 13 reviews. On the film
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film has an approval rating of 89% based on 27 reviews, with a rating average of 7.57/10. The site's critical consensus reads, it "has a kind of twofold eloquence."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which gave its reviews a weighted average rating, with the film scoring 75 based on 14 critics, including "generally favorable reviews".
Peter Bradshaw Peter Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire''. Early life and education Bradshaw was educated at Haberdasher ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said, "The film offers a valuable and independent engagement with Muslim history, quite different from the ugly fight-to-the-finish promoted elsewhere in the media, and constitutes a nuanced riposte both to the dogmatic verities of religion and also to a species of Islamophobia that assumes the Muslim world to be crudely monolithic. ..It is one of the films of the year." According to ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
s
Ann Hornaday Ann Hornaday is an American film critic. She has been film critic at ''The Washington Post'' since 2002 and is the author of ''Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies'' (2017). In 2008, she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Ear ...
, the low-cost film captures the lyricism of life in Bangladesh's waterways and cities, some scenes reminiscent of Jean Renoir's 1951 classic '' Le Fleuve''.
Ty Burr Ty Burr (born August 17, 1957) is an American film critic, columnist, and author who currently writes a film and popular culture newsletter "Ty Burr's Watchlist" on Substack. Burr previously served as film critic at ''The Boston Globe'' for two ...
of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' stated that the connection between personal, political and spiritual instability is revealed with the pure imagination of the autopsy. American film critic Frank Scheck writes in ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'', the producers' clear sympathy for the film's characters and close knowledge of its subject matter makes the film come alive. Michael O'Sullivan commented in a review of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' that ''The Clay Bird'' hits a number of beautiful and lazy trends about the human condition. According to Eric Monder of ''
Film Journal International ''Film Journal International'' was a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It was a sister publication of ''Adweek'', ''Billboard'', ''The Hollywood Reporter'', and other periodicals. H ...
'', the film is somewhat restrained for its own drama, but at least for a contemporary audience, it sheds light on a significant part of world history. Marty Mapes of ''Movie Habit'' comments that the film is a good piece of armchair anthropology. American film historian and critic
Elias Savada Elias Savada is an American film historian and critic. Since 1977, he has owned and operated the Motion Picture Information Service, which has provided customized copyright research reports to over 1,200 clients. Biography The son of New York rec ...
said, "''The Clay Bird'' is a incredibly humbling experience." American writer and film critic Phil Hall stated in '' Film Threat'', it a great film in Bangladesh. American journalist and historian
Elliott Stein Elliott Stein (December 5, 1928 – November 7, 2012) was an American journalist and historian. In the 1950s he managed a literary review in Paris: "Janus." He also wrote for the review "Bizarre" with Kenneth Anger. He worked with Anger on Anger ...
said, "''The Clay Bird'' recalls the empathy for childhood's innocence and lust for living—as well as the visual rapture and naturalness—of Satyajit Ray's great
Pather Panchali ''Pather Panchali'' (; ) is a 1955 Indian Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and produced by the Government of West Bengal. It is an adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's 1929 Bengali novel of the same na ...
." According to the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's Jamie Russell, Anu skillfully created an increasingly gentle portrait of Masud during his transition through childhood. According to Sean Axmaker of ''
Seattle Post-Intelligencer The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The newspaper was f ...
'', the film is a timeless work with clear and elusive and almost historical features. Jamal Malik, a professor of German Islamic Studies of Pakistani descent, said the story of ''Matir Moina'' is presented in a textual structure similar to European art cinema. Indian filmmaker
Aparna Sen Aparna Sen (, ''Ôporna Shen'') is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actress who is known for her work in Bengali cinema. She has received several accolades as an actress and filmmaker, including nine National Film Awards, five F ...
praises the film.


Accolades

Tareque Masud was commemorated on
Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
on 6 December 2016, on his 60th birthday. Where a iconic bird represents the film ''Matir Moina''.


Home media

On 16 June 2004, the film was released on DVD (only for Region 2) by its French producer, distributor and world sales representative mk2 under Warner Bros. Home Entertainment France.
VCD Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as Compact Disc Digital Video) is a home video format and the first format for distributing films on standard optical discs. The format was widely adopted in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the ...
and DVD versions of the film was released in Bangladesh on 15 April 2005 from
Laser Vision A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The firs ...
. Which includes an additional two-hours documentary, featuring scenes, interviews and audience feedback. It is considered as the first interactive DVD in Bangladesh. The film was released in DVD version in late 2005 by its North American distributor
Milestone Films Milestone Film and Video is an independent film distribution company, founded in 1990 in the United States by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller. The company researches and distributes cinematographic material from around the world, including silent film, ...
.


Sequel


See also

*
List of Bangladeshi submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Bangladesh has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 2002. The award is handed out annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced ou ...


References


Sources

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External links

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{Authority control 2002 films 2002 drama films 2000s Bengali-language films 2000s war drama films Bengali-language Bangladeshi films Bangladeshi war drama films Films set in the 1960s Films set in 1969 Films set in 1970 Films set in 1971 Films set in East Pakistan Films based on the Bangladesh Liberation War Films about Islam Religious controversies in film Film controversies in Bangladesh Films directed by Tareque Masud Films produced by Catherine Masud Best Film Bachsas Award winners Films whose writer won the Best Screenplay National Film Award (Bangladesh) Censored films