''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 (; autonym: ) is an Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-European language family, whose speakers are known as the Chakma or the Daingnet people. It has 740,000 speakers, with 60% residing in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Banglade ...

film. The

Bangladesh Film Censor Board The Bangladesh Film Certification Board is a regulatory agency that is responsible for the censorship of films and is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Predecessor The Bangladesh Film Censor Board board was set up in 1977 following the framing of B ...

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 An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

in a negative light. There were no professional actors involved in the production. On August 8, 2024, an independent film activist group organized an open screening called #CinemaDehuntis, as part of a reformist movement urging the government to abolish censorship. This initiative is a sub-movement woven into the broader ''

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...

'' in Bangladesh against the Awami government.

Plot

An indigenous man named Komol 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, 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 (BNFF), or PÖFF (Pimedate Ööde filmifestival), is an annual film festival held since 1997 in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. PÖFF is one of the largest film festivals in Northern Europe. In 2014, it was ...

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 large ...

2016, Sweden *

Zanzibar International Film Festival 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 establis ...

2016, Tanzania * 17th Asiatica Mediale Film Festival, Rome 2016 * 15th Winnipeg Aboriginal Film festival 2016 * Skabmagovat Film Festival, Finland 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 defend the land of Bangladesh from any external attack. Control of personnel and operations is ad ...

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

Chittagong Hill Tracts The Chittagong Hill Tracts (), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, refers to the three hilly districts within the Chittagong Division in southeastern Bangladesh, bordering India and Myanmar (Burma) in the east: Kh ...

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 insurgency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (), also known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict (), refers to a political and armed conflict that occurred in Bangladesh in two phases: *First phase happened from 1977 to 1997 between the gover ...

. Director Aung Rakhaine, alleged to the Censor Board for the violation of human rights.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 4916056
Alexanderstreet
Bangladeshi drama films 2015 independent films 2015 drama films 2015 films Censored films Chakma-language films Bangladeshi independent films Film censorship in Bangladesh