Bangladeshi filmmaker Tanvir Mokammel’s documentary ‘The Saga of the Motuas’ has been nominated in the best documentary category at the upcoming New York Bangla Film Festival, scheduled to be held in August, where international and diaspora Bangla-language films will be screened and evaluated.
The documentary, which runs for around 105 minutes, explores the history, lifestyle and cultural philosophy of the Matua community. It presents the community’s long journey, traditions, struggles and their relationship with contemporary realities.
In the same category, another nominated work is ‘Basanti’, a documentary directed by Sandeep Mistry, a former student of the Bangladesh Film Institute, which has also drawn attention ahead of the festival.
‘The Saga of the Motuas’ features cinematography by Rakibul Hasan, art direction by Uttam Guh, background music by Syed Sabab Ali and narration by Chitralekha Guho.
Reacting to the nomination, Tanvir Mokammel said the film represents more than just a documentary for him. “‘The Saga of the Motuas’ is not just a documentary, it is an attempt to understand a history and a belief system. Portraying the life, struggle and culture of the Matua community through the language of cinema was my main objective. Being nominated at the New York Bangla Film Festival is a major recognition for our entire team,” he said.
He added that such recognition could encourage more research-based and culturally significant documentary filmmaking in the future.
The New York Bangla Film Festival will feature selected works from Bangla-speaking filmmakers across the world, highlighting both international and diaspora cinema.
