Bangladeshi film ‘Nishi’, the country’s only EMA Award-winning film, has been selected for the main competition section of the 12th Green Montenegro International Film Festival, set to take place in August at Durmitor National Park.
‘Nishi’ was jointly directed by Golam Rabbani and Zahirul Islam from a story and screenplay written by Golam Rabbani.
Reacting to the selection, Rabbani said, “Nishi’s international journey has been truly remarkable. Through cinema, we are able to share our stories with audiences around the world. We are also learning a great deal from them, which is enriching our own cinematic journey. Thanks to my film school, IAFM, for believing in me.”
Produced by the International Academy of Film and Media, the film was made with support from the European Union Bangladesh, the Green Film School Alliance and UNESCO Dhaka.
The story follows a tea worker’s daughter whose education comes to a halt because of a water crisis. A timber trader named Lalchan offers to install a tube well at her family’s home in exchange for marrying the underage Nishi, setting the story in motion.
The film’s final editing, colour grading and sound design were completed at the renowned Łódź Film School in Poland. Cinematography was handled by Natalia Pusnik, a former student of the institution.
Filming took place in and around a tea estate in Sylhet. The cast features Nishi, a tea worker’s daughter, alongside tea workers Biswajit, Ganesh and Bharati.
The Montenegro International Film Festival, regarded as one of the world’s leading environmental film events, will be held from August 1 to 3 at Black Lake in Durmitor National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Montenegro.
