''My Bicycle'' ( Chakma: ''Mor Thengari'') is a Bangladeshi

indie film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, in ...

directed by Aung Rakhine. It is the country's first

Chakma language Chakma language (; autonym: , ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Chakma and Daingnet people. The language has common features with other languages in the region like the Chittagonian, Tanchangya, Arakanese and others. It is spoken by ...

film. 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. ...

blocked the commercial release of the film, which speculators have suggested may be due to the board not speaking Chakma or due to the film showing the army in a negative light. There were no professional actors involved in the production.

Plot

An indigenous man named Komol who is fired from a job in a town and returns to his hillside native village with only a bicycle. Although his son is happy to have his father back, but he has nothing to give his family except the bicycle. Komol decides to not return to the town for new jobs but tries to secure their livelihood through the cycle. He offers to ferry passengers and goods of villagers from place to place on his cycle and earn. Unfortunately one day an accident occurs, injuring an old man. Village goons threaten Komol and declare that no one can ride on that cycle. When Komol refuses to give them extortion, they destroy his bicycle.

Cast

* Kamal Mani Chakma as Komal * Indira Chakma as Devi

Festivals and awards

* Best Screenplay, Ufa Silver Akbuzat Ethnic Cinema Festival 2016, Russia * Honorable Mention, Cine Kurumin - Int. Indigenous Film Festival 2016, Brazil *

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, or PÖFF ( et, Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival), is an annual film festival held since 1997 in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. PÖFF is the only festival in Northern Europe or the Baltic region with a FIA ...

2015, Estonia *

Göteborg Film Festival Göteborg Film Festival (GFF), formerly Göteborg International Film Festival (GIFF), known in English as the Gothenburg Film Festival, formerly Gothenburg International Film Festival, is an annual film festival in Gothenburg, Sweden and the larg ...

2016, Sweden *

Zanzibar International Film Festival The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa. ZIFF is a non-governmental organization esta ...

2016, Tanzania * 17th Asiatica Mediale Film Festival, Rome 2016 * 15th Winnipeg Aboriginal Film festival 2016 * Skabmagovat Film Festival, Finland 2016 * Zanzibar International Film Festival, 2016 * Kasa Asia Film Festival, Span 2016 * Phnom Pehn International Film Festival, Combodia 2016 * Bare Bones International Film and Music Festival, USA 2017

Controversy

The film received some international recognition after its exhibition in several international film festivals, that include

and

. However, it has been banned by

from screening in Bangladesh. The

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and def ...

took notice and lodged a complaint that the film showed the activities of the army in the

Chittagong Hill Tracts The Chittagong Hill Tracts ( bn, পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম, Parbotto Chottogram), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, are group of districts within the Chittagong Division in southeast ...

which is a sensitive issue. The film was censored due to its unfavorable portrayal of the police and armed forces in

Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict The Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict was a political and armed conflict between the government of Bangladesh and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (United People's Party of the Chittagong Hill Tracts) and its armed wing, the Shanti Bah ...

. Director Aung Rakhaine, alleged to the Censor Board for the

violation of human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 4916056 Bangladeshi drama films 2015 independent films 2015 drama films 2015 films Censored films Chakma language films Bangladeshi independent films