With the caption “History is the witness that our reds are as perilous as our greens are restful,” director Afzal Hossain Munna released the first official poster of “The Old Man And The Girl.” Starring Nusrat Imrose Tisha, the short film is part of an anthology “#istandforwomen.” The film series focuses on stories of sexual assault.
“Let films be the weapon in the revolution against injustice,” Munna wrote in his post.
Although the name has been inspired by “The Old Man And The Sea” (1952), the director confirmed that the film does not resemble Ernest Hemingway’s classic short novel, except o a psychological plane.
The symbolism in the poster is striking. The bindi that Tisha wears on her forehead looks much like the third eye with her Kali-like rage seeping through her blood red veil.
Munna told Showtime about the premise of his new film.
“Hundreds of “Toru”s pass the streets of Dhaka everyday. Some are college or university going girls who tutor other students for little money. We can’t distinguish them from a crowd,” the director said. “The Toru of this story rents a low-cost apartment with her mother. After classes and tutoring, she comes home in the evening. Among many men who put her in uneasy situations on her way back home, one old man stands out with his cold stare. He follows her day and night. It vexes and frightens Toru. She protests one day. But nothing could’ve prepared her for what happens next.”
The film anthology will have a theatrical premiere soon.
