As part of the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh’s 60th anniversary project 'Goethe Pop Up Festival' and to address the deteriorating conditions of the rivers in climate-vulnerable Bangladesh, a short documentary film ‘Once There Were Rivers’ was screened at Sonargaon in Narayanganj district on Thursday, November 18. Broqué, the first upcycled high-end streetwear fashion lab in Bangladesh, premiered the short documentary film created and directed by Dhaka-based Mahenaz Chowdhury, founder and zero-waste designer of Broqué, in collaboration with Berlin-based Simone Simonato, founder of SICA Upcycling Design. Read:Korea Film and Tourism Festival 2021 starts in Dhaka on Nov 24 Together with the people interviewed for the documentary film, their families and neighbours, the first screening took place at Sonargaon, Narayanganj district which was hosted by Mahenaz Chowdhury at Rajon Miah’s jamdani atelier. Miah is the owner of Sonia Jamdani, who was one of the interviewees for the documentary. The film captures the lives of the jamdani weaving community and their connection to the river and how over the years, growing river pollution impacted the value of their revered craft.  “As time passes, we fade into dust, but films like this, tells our story for the new generations to realize the importance of caring about our lives, our rivers and value our craft. I appreciate the initiative taken by Mahenaz in making such a beautiful film,” says Rajon Miah.

Fortify Rights and Doha Debates have released “EXODUS,” a 23-minute documentary film that delves into the lives of three young Rohingya refugee photographers from Myanmar living in one of the world’s largest refugee camps. The film follows the stories of Omal Khair, Dil Kayas, and Azimul Hasson, three Rohingya survivors of genocide forced out from their homes in Rakhine State during Myanmar-military-led clearance operations of 2017.  Read: US welcomes NUG's inclusive path forward for Rohingyas The film is set to be released on August 25, the anniversary of the onset of genocidal attacks in Myanmar that forced more than 700,000 Rohingyas to take shelter in Bangladesh. “The Myanmar military weaponized social media, using Facebook to spread calls for violence against Rohingya,” said Taimoor Sobhan, Senior Multimedia Specialist at Fortify Rights, a human rights body.  “This film project is about Rohingya refugees reclaiming their narrative on social media. The film serves as a reminder that social media can also be a powerful tool for collective good.” “EXODUS,” directed by Taimoor Sobhan, features the three refugees as they visually document life inside refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.  Read: Myanmar’s NUG in Exile: Safe, dignified Rohingya repatriation “utmost priority” The film explores how Omal Khair, Dil Kayas, and Azimul Hasson use photography and social media, providing a unique window into the everyday life of Rohingya refugees. Since 2018, Fortify Rights, in partnership with Doha Debates, which unites, empowers and inspires young people to become impassioned, informed leaders, provided on-the-ground photography and media-skills training for the three young Rohingya refugees featured in the documentary film.  The organizations equipped the three “media fellows” with mobile phones, and the fellows have since documented their lives and the lives of others in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps on Instagram, amassing thousands of followers. Read:4th anniversary of Rohingya exodus arrives with repatriation a far cry In 2021, the trio, along with Fortify Rights and Doha Debates, won a Shorty Award in recognition of the work that became the subject of EXODUS. Amjad Atallah, Doha Debates’ managing director, said, “Omal, Dil and Azimul’s extraordinarily compelling photography is all the more remarkable given the challenges they face in the world’s largest refugee camp. This film documents their story in touching, inspiring ways. Doha Debates is proud to have teamed up with Fortify Rights to help and support Omal, Dil and Azimul and to provide an outlet for their work.”

The Cinemaking International Film Festival 2020 is scheduled to begin from Dec 24 maintaining all safety measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

A documentary film titled 'Political Life of Bangabandhu and Emergence of Bangladesh' was premiered at the Star Cineplex in the capital’s Bashundhara City on Friday night, marking the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,.

Bangladeshi documentary film 'Qasida of Dhaka' received the award for the best documentary in Delhi's Indus Valley International Film Festival-2020.