Young Bangladeshi director Rubaiyat Hossain’s film Made in Bangladesh is going to vie for honours in the 78th Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film category.
The director confirmed the news that her third film has received the official invitation from the organisers of the 78th Golden Globes.
Produced by François d’Artemare (Les Films De L’apres-Midi) and Ashique Mostafa (Khona Talkies), the film portrays the struggle and aspiration of a Dhaka garment factory worker Shimu (played by Rikita Nandini Shimu).
It will get entry for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film category.
Rubaiyat said the according to latest rules set by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which presents the annual Golden Globe Awards, a motion picture drama or musical or comedy with more than 50% non-English dialogue is eligible for this category.
The director said she drew inspiration from films such as Rosetta and Norma Rae, adding the protagonist Shimu is reel adaptation of real-life experiences of a Dhaka garment worker.
Rubaiyat said she is elated at the success of Made in Bangladesh, which ran in 57 theatres in the US.
The film that portrays the struggle of a housemaid-turned-factory-worker, who starts a union to fight for her rights, has earned widespread acclaim in the West.
Rubaiyat, who wanted her third film to particularly focus on working class women since factory workers are most visible in our workforce but their stories hardly find mention on the screen.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has also invited Made in Bangladesh to another event. The film will be screened as part of the 2nd Annual HFPA Foreign Language Film Series along with three other films, Rubaiyat added.
Rikita Nandini Shimu, Deepanwita Martin, Mayabe Rahman, Novera Rahman, and Parvin Paru feature in the lead roles of the film.
Going by the experience of Rubaiyat’s debut film Meherjaan that was pulled from the theatres after being subjected to massive backlash for its anti-war narrative, she is doubtful about the response of her third film in Bangladesh.
“Though many of my friends own garment factories, but that does not mean I should not focus of few grim realities faced by workers. I don’t see any problem about a film that speaks about the plight of working-class women,” Rubaiyat said.
She plans to release the film in April next year.
“I’m keeping in mind Pohela Boishakh, the first day of Bengali New Year, which is holiday. Though I wanted to release it during the Eid but later changed my mind. Audience generally watch commercial films during the Eid,” she added.
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