A new documentary delves into the life and legacy of the eminent photographer Nasir Ali Mamun, renowned for his unique approach to portrait photography and dubbed the "Poet of the Camera" - and is scheduled to be screened next Friday.
Titled "Nasir Ali Mamun: In Praise of Shadows” (Chhayabandana), the 65-minute long documentary is crafted by the British expatriate Bangladeshi filmmaker Makbul Chowdhury.
Set to be premiered on May 10 at 4 pm at the National Art Gallery auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the documentary spans the extensive career of Mamun, focusing on his contributions to developing portrait photography in Bangladesh.
His portraits, often of significant personalities and celebrities, showcase a distinct mastery of light and shadow—a technique he passionately advocates. "I prefer using natural light," Mamun has famously stated, emphasizing the artistic control this element provides.
The film explores these themes, portraying the dedication and meditative process that define his artistic practice.
Regarding the documentary, director Makbul Chowdhury said: “For the last five years, I have lived with this film - and finally, all the arrangements for showing the film have been completed. This documentary is a detailed work on the life and work of Nasir Ali Mamun, a photographer who captured my interest since I was a teenager. The photographic journey of Nasir Ali Mamun, a creator of his own identity in portrait photography, is a journey of labor, struggle and meditation of a tireless artist. You are all invited to the screening of the film.”
Known as one of the pioneering photographers in Bangladesh, Mamun took many portraits of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the early seventies and recorded his rare moments from close up. Right after the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, Mamun's camera defined portraiture in Bangladesh that eventually ushered in and changed the landscape of portrait photography in the country.
Being ‘the poet with the camera’, Mamun has taken some of the most iconic portraits Bangladesh has ever seen. His black and white images display a beautiful yet enigmatic and equivocal coalescence of light and shadow.
The screening of the film is open to all.