During the 42nd Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF) in Tehran, Hafizuddin Munna, a director and producer from Bangladesh, expressed that Middle Eastern cinema and television productions, particularly Iranian-made series and movies, have been receiving a warm reception in his country.
Munna highlighted a couple of Iranian productions that have found an audience in Bangladesh, naming “Muhammad: The Messenger of God” (directed by Majid Majidi) and “Saint Mary” (directed by Shahriar Bahrani), both of which have been broadcast in Bangladesh.
Discussing the broader landscape of Middle Eastern cinema, Munna observed that the industry is experiencing rapid growth in Islamic countries across the region, including Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria.
Drawing a comparison between Iranian and Bangladeshi cinema, he noted thematic similarities are due to the shared cultural context of both nations being predominantly Muslim.
As for the film he presented at the FIFF, “Mighty Afrin: in the Time of Flood,” it is a docufiction that revolves around a 12-year-old orphan girl. Raised by her grandmother, Afrin faces distress during the three-month-long floods that occur annually in her region — the disappearing islands along the Brahmaputra River.
The film aims to shed light on the effects of climate change and internal migration, he said, adding that Afrin’s island is “gone.”
Hafizuddin revealed that the movie’s production spanned five years, during which the crew sometimes found themselves immersed in neck-deep floodwaters for 10-12 hours.
He concluded that the resulting 90-minute docufiction captures Afrin’s life story and resonates with thousands of other children facing similar challenges.
Iranian series and movies welcomed in Bangladesh: Cineaste
