Biralpakhi Cine Club organises session on int’l co-production

Biralpakhi Cine Club, a film organisation founded on 2016, working with young Bangladeshi filmmakers and film technicians, recently organised an open dialogue titled “Co-Producing Young Filmmakers” in the 16th edition of their regular networking session called Biralpakhi’r Mojma. Two producers - Dominique Welinski from France and Sara Afreen from Bangladesh - shared their experiences with young filmmakers and film enthusiasts at the session on Saturday at National Library Auditorium in Dhaka. Sara was the producer of Cinéma du Réel winner “Shunte Ki Pao! - Are You Listening!”, directed by Kamar Ahmad Simon, and Dominique was one of the producers of late director Tareque Masud’s “Matir Moina - The Clay Bird”, which had won the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes Film Festival. During the dialogue, Dominique, who is currently co-producing Simon’s upcoming feature film venture, “Shikolbaha,” said she was interested in young filmmakers and meaningful stories. She also explained that it was important for young filmmakers to be clear about how they want to tell their stories through a movie as the screenplay was just as much important. Sara told the participants that before anyone starts working as a producer, he or she must gather proper knowledge about film and the international market. She also shared her knowledge, experience and realisations from working as a producer and distributer for the DOK Leipzig winning documentary “Shunte Ki Pao!” Dominique expressed her hopes that hundreds of Bangladeshi filmmakers would be participating at international film festivals in future instead of the few that do at present. She also shared her experience of her project “Factory” for those who hope to enter the Cannes Film Festival in future with their work. Three short films co-produced by Dominique, which had premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight category at Cannes, were also screened at the end of Saturday’s session moderated by Biralpakhi Cine Club’s Founding President and film producer Ishtiaque Zico. After the screenings, Dominique and Sara also answered questions from the participants of the dialogue.