Bangladesh has nominated “Television” to compete at the Oscars in the “Best Foreign Language Film” category. Directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, the movie has been selected by the Oscar Bangladesh Committee to compete at the 86th Annual Academy Awards.
Oscar Bangladesh Committee Chairman Habibur Rahman Khan announced the nomination at a press conference held on September 21 at La-Vinchi in Dhaka. Other members of the committee—Rokeya Prachy, Shahidul Islam Khokon, Saiful Islam Chowdhury, Abu Musa Debu, Reza Latif and Abdus Selim were present at the press conference.
Mostafa Sarwar Farooki’s film “Television,” which brought the curtain down on the Busan Film Festival in South Korea in October 2012, has taken part in many international film festivals and is yet to participate to attend more prestigious international festivals this year.
While talking about representing Bangladesh at the Oscars, Farooki shared at the press conference: “I still don’t know whether ‘Television’ will be nominated in the Oscars or not. But, from my observation, this year Asian movies have more chances to be nominated in the best foreign film category rather than the European films. Oscars is a competition which bring together the best of the bests so it will be a tough competition for each film to be win the nomination. Let’s hope for the best.”
Farooki, who previously directed “Third Person Singular Number,” which collected awards on international festival circuit, describes the film as “Tradition meets Facebook.” The story, which he co-scripted with Anisul Hoque, is that of an Imam who loathes all modernity, especially cell-phones, television and new media. The story has a happy, new media ending for the Imam who is unable to make his planned trip to Mecca.
“Television” is based on the theme of tradition versus contemporary in the rural arena. The film features Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Mosharraf Karim and Chanchal Chowdhury in lead roles.
This year another movie, “Chorabali”, directed by Redoan Rony, was also submitted for the selection round in the country but “Television” got the ticket.
Earlier in 2002, “Matir Moina,” directed by eminent filmmaker late Tareque Masud, was nominated in the “Best Foreign Language Film” at the Oscars. It is, by far, the only Bangladeshi movie which got such a honour. Produced by Impress Tele-film Limited, seven films – “Shyamol Chhaya,” “Nirontor,” “Swapnodanaye,” “Aha!,” “Britter Bairey,” “Third Person Singular Number,” and “Ghetuputra Kamola,” – have so far vied for the Oscars but couldn’t make it to the final list.