“A Border Between us” will be screening at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival as part of the ‘We Need to Talk’ programme on October 12 and 19. And is subsequently heading to DOC NYC for its New York premier as a part of the Far From Home shorts programme- November 18-19.
The story is based on Director Riad Arfin’s personal experience of being in an interracial relationship and trying to settle in a culture very different from his own; between visa rules and cultural norms.
The synopsis reads: "When a Bangladeshi man moves across the world to be with his partner in the UK, they discover the unforeseen costs of following your heart. In 'A Border Between Us,' Director Riad Arfin explores his personal experience of being in an interracial relationship and trying to settle in a culture very different from his own; between visa rules and cultural norms, is it possible to find a place to call home that works for them both? In a challenge to the idea that all you need is love to make you whole, when faced with the impact of loneliness and discrimination on his mental health, is love really enough? When the sacrifices feel one sided, what does it take to make it work?"
This film has previously premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2023, participated in the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2023, Inverness Film Festival 2023. And won Best Short Film Award at the UK Asian Film Festival 2024.
Riad Arfin is a Bangladeshi filmmaker based in the UK. He was influenced by the nouvelle vague movement at an early age and has a passion for poetic yet thought provoking cinema. His short film ‘A Bus Ride’ won the best film award at the ‘Dhaka International Short and Independent Film Festival’ in 2014. His other film ‘A Fishing story’ won the jury award at ‘Chitrovasha Film Festival’ in 2020. Recently, he has been selected to join Pedro Costa lab in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico along with fifty other filmmakers around the world.
