Banglagesh's Oscar entry Oggatonama screened at KIFF

Bangladesh’s entry to the 89th Academy Awards Oggatonama, directed Tauquir Ahmed, was screened at the ongoing 22nd Kolkata International Film Festival. The film talks about the identity crisis faced by people from developing countries working in the Middle East, the director of the film, Ahmed said.

“Oggatonama (The Unnamed), which was selected as the Bangladesh entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 89th Academy Awards (Oscar), lays bare the reality of migration,” Ahmed told PTI after the film’s special screening here last evening.

Ahmed said that though the issues faced by migrants may be universal, the treatment is differently by each director incorporating his viewpoint of life.

“It is a film about life, love and everlasting hope while delivering a strong global message,” the director said. On marketing the films produced in his country and India, the director said, “The crisis is here. In our country, the number of theatres has dwindled to just 250-300 from once 1,300.

“However, a new online channel has opened to sell the films, thus expanding the Bengali film market.”

Ahmed, who had previously directed festival winners like Joyjatra, Rupkathar Galpo and Daruchini Dip, regretted that while Bengali channels and Bengali films from Kolkata enjoyed access to Bangladesh market, the reciprocity is not there.

He expressed happiness for Oggatonama being screened in KIFF 2016, a festival which he was attending for the third time.

“It has been shown in several film festivals across the world and received warm tributes everywhere.”