''Nonajoler Kabbo'' ( bn, নোনাজলের কাব্য; ) is a 2020 Bangladeshi

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 been ...

film written and directed by Rezwan Shahriar Sumit. It was screened at the

BFI London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and shor ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

on 26 October 2020 and was later released in Bangladesh on 26 November 2021, over one year later. The film stars

Fazlur Rahman Babu Fazlur Rahman Babu (born 22 August 1960) is a Bangladeshi actor and singer. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor 4 times for his roles in the films ''Shonkhonaad'' (2004), '' Meyeti Ekhon Kothay Jabe'' (2017), '' Fagun ...

Shatabdi Wadud Shatabdi Wadud is a Bangladeshi film and television actor. He won Bangladesh National Film Award Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies ...

Titas Zia Titas Zia is a Bangladeshi film actor. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the film ''Mrittika Maya ''Mrittika Maya'' is a Bangladeshi film about the heartbreaking life of an old potter. The film's script, scre ...

, Tasnova Tamanna, and Ashoke Bepari.

Plot

Sculpture artist Rudro (Titas Zia) leaves the city to venture where his father once assisted with aid relief for the community after a cyclone hit. He sets up a studio in the local village of Patuakhali, Barisal, creating beautiful, elegant figures, many of which depict the human body. Soon, his modern outlook is met with contempt, creating a divide between the traditional and more progressive ways of urban life. The locals are led by a chairman and faith leader ( Fazlur Rahman Babu), who feels threatened by Rudro’s creations, interpreting the artwork as a form of idolatry – an affront to the very core Islam. The artist has again targeted as the village experiences a shortage of fish, the popular ilish (hilsa) native to South Asia. When he attempts to explain the effects of climate change, Rudra faces antagonism as superstitions come up against scientific logic. However, he has a few people on his side, like his tenant Bashar’s daughter, Tuni, and her little brother Taher.

Cast

as Rudro * Fazlur Rahman Babu as Chairman *

as Talash * Tasnova Tamanna as Tuni * Ashoke Bepari as Bashar

Release

The film was shown at the London Film Festival 2020,

Busan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF, previously Pusan International Film Festival, PIFF), held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan (''also'' Pusan), South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festi ...

Singapore International Film Festival The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore. Founded in 1987, the festival has a focus on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for ...

Kolkata International Film Festival The Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) is an annual film festival held in Kolkata, India. Founded in 1995, it is the third oldest international film festival in India. The festival is organized by the West Bengal Film Centre under the W ...

and several other.

Reception

It received generally positive feedback from Critics and festivals. Thomas Flew from

Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...

said '''Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s thoughtful debut makes sculptor Rudro a fish out of water in an idyllic Bangladeshi fishing town with old-fashioned residents.''' Adriana Rosati from ''Asian Movie pulse'' reviewed '''Classic clash-of-cultures drama set against a stunning backdrop, echoing climate change concerns. It won the Best film in Asian Select Category at

and awarded France’s CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde, TFL Audience Design Fund, Bangladesh’s national film grant, and the Spike Lee Fellowship.

Awards

Hiralal Sen Hiralal Sen ( bn, হীরালাল সেন, ''Hiralal Shen''; 2 August 1868 – 26 October 1917) is generally considered one of India's first filmmakers. In 1903, he filmed the popular Alibaba and Forty Thieves, the first full-length In ...

Award 1428 - Best Feature Film *Won the Best film in Asian Select Category at Kolkata International Film Festival *Awarded France’s CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=tt6955210 2020 films Bengali-language Bangladeshi films 2020s Bengali-language films Government of Bangladesh grants films Best Film National Film Award (Bangladesh) winners