Matir Moina
Matir Moina (Bengali: মাটির ময়না; also spelled Matir Moyna and known in English as The Clay Bird) is a 2002 Bengali drama film directed by Tareque Masud, a Bangladeshi film director. The film's cast includes Nurul Islam Bablu (in his film acting debut), Jayanta Chattopadhyay, and Rokeya Prachy. It deals with Masud's own experiences studying at a madrasah against the increasing tensions in East Pakistan culminating in the Bangladesh War of Liberation. Throughout the film, there are references to historical occurrences in agitated times, and the film portrays these episodes through the human experiences of the young protagonist, his family, and his teachers and peers at the madrasah.
| Matir Moina | |
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| Directed by | Tareque Masud |
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| Written by |
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| Story by | Tareque Masud |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Moushumi Bhowmik |
| Cinematography | Sudheer Palsane |
| Edited by | Catherine Masud |
Production company |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Language | Bengali |
| Budget | $300,000 |
Matir Moina won a number of awards internationally but was initially banned in Bangladesh on the grounds that it dealt with issues sensitive to the religious. The ban was repealed and the DVD version was released on April 16, 2005.
Produced by Catherine Masud Matir Moina was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize in section Directors' Fortnight outside competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival,[1] and became Bangladesh's first film to compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Plot
The film is set against the backdrop of unrest in East Pakistan in the late 1960s leading up to the Bangladesh War of Liberation. In this setting, a small family must come to grips with its culture, its faith, and the brutal political changes entering its small-town world. Anu, a young boy, is sent off to a madrasah by his unbendingly devout father Kazi. Anu's younger sister falls ill and dies because of Kazi's refusal to use conventional medicine. While at the madrasah, Anu befriends Rokon, an eccentric misfit in the rigorous religious school, who is forced by the teachers to undergo an exorcism by ducking in the freezing river to cure himself.
Personal tragedies beset the family and tests its loyalty to the obdurate patriarch Kazi, who still believes in the religious unity of Pakistan, in the face of cruel, contradictory events.
A shattering political development then changes their town, their life, and the inner dynamics of the family, including the patriarch's role.
Cast
- Nurul Islam Bablu as Anu
- Jayanta Chattopadhyay as Kazi, Anu's father
- Rokeya Prachy as Ayesha Bibi, Anu's mother
- Lameesa R. Reemjheem as Asma, Anu's sister
- Soaeb Islam as Milon, Anu's uncle
- Russell Farazi as Rokon, Anu's friend
- Md. Moslemuddin as the headmaster
- Moyeen Ahmed as Ibrahim, madrasa teacher
- Shah Alom Dewan as Sufi boatman
- Abdul Karim as Halim Mia
- Golam Mahmud as Shaheen
- Pradip Mittra Mithun as Uttam
- Auyon Chowdhury as Anu's 3rd Friend
- Masud Ali Khan as Khan Bahadur
- Manjila Begum as a female singer
- Amena Khatun as Taser's Mother
- Aynal Mia as Male Singer- Day Concert
- Nasima Aktar as Female Singer- Day Concert
- Abdul Malek as Night Concert Accompanist
- Gurudhan as Night Concert Accompanist
- Nuru Mia Chisty as Night Concert Accompanist
- Shafique as Day Concert Accompanist
- Majibur Rahman as Day Concert Accompanist
- Iman Ali Sarkar as Day Concert Accompanist
- Abdul Kadir as Day Concert Accompanist
- Ibrahim Boyati as Ferry Boat Singer
- Momtaz as a female folk singer
- Mamunr Rahman (Sojib Khan)
Pre-production
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Casting
According to the Masuds, the film was shot almost entirely with non-professionals in local settings often using local sounds. The cinematography attempted to capture the seasons in rustic appeal and the festivals and holidays of Bangladesh.
Production
Filming
Music
All music is composed by Moushumi Bhowmik.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jodi Bheste Jaite Chao" | ||
| 2. | "Pakhita Bondi Aachhe" | Pradip Dey |
Release
Matir Moina became the first full-length feature film from Bangladesh to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival,[2] and was the opening film of the Directors' Fortnight section.[3]
At about the same time, the Bangladesh Film Censor Board felt the film was too sensitive to be screened in Bangladesh due to some religious overtones. Masud took the case to the Appeal Board and agreed to minor changes so that it could be shown in the country of its creation. Matir Moina opened in one theater, Madhumita Cinema Hall in Dhaka, on 25 October 2002, and closed after two weeks.[2][3]
Home media
The DVD of Matir Moina was released on 16 April 2005 by Laser Vision. It includes a two-hour documentary that includes shootings, interviews, and opinion from the audience. It is thought to be the first interactive DVD in Bangladesh.
Reception
The film currently holds 89% of critics rating at Rotten tomatoes.
Accolades
| Award / Film Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s)/Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 15 May 2002 – 26 May 2002 | FIPRESCI Prize in section Directors' Fortnight | Tareque Masud | Won |
| Directors Guild of Great Britain | 2004 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Foreign Language Film | Tareque Masud | Nominated |
| International Film Festival of Kerala | 2003 | Golden Crow Pheasant | Tareque Masud | Nominated |
| Marrakech International Film Festival | 2002 | Best Screenplay Award | Tareque Masud, Catherine Masud | Won |
| National Film Awards | 2002 | Best Child Artist | Russell Farazi | Won |
| Best Screenplay | Tareque Masud | Won | ||
| Best Child Artist | Nurul Islam Bablu | Won |
Sequel
See also
- List of Bangladeshi submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Notes
References
- A web resource on Tareque Masud and his film Matir Moyna compiling many of his film reviews and interviews
- "Matir Moina ready to take off clean". The Daily Star. 21 October 2002. Archived from the original on 8 November 2002.
- Raju, Zakir Hossain (Autumn–Winter 2002). "A coming of age ... Tarique Masud's The Clay Bird". Cinemaya. Vol. 56–57. pp. 16–19.
Further reading
- Raju, Zakir Hossain (2008). "Madrasa and Muslim Identity on Screen". In Malik, Jamal (ed.). Madrasas in South Asia: Teaching terror?. Routledge. pp. 139–154. ISBN 978-0-415-44247-3.
- "INTERVIEW WITH TAREQUE MASUD". Le Monde. May 15, 2002.
- Bradshaw, Peter (May 23, 2002). "The Clay Bird". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Alt URL
- "Matir Moina flies further". Holiday. November 1, 2002.
- Rooney, David (May 23, 2002). "The Clay Bird". Variety. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018. Alt URL
- Mitchell, Elvis (April 5, 2003). "FILM FESTIVAL REVIEWS; A Child Copes With Dad's Zealotry". The New York Times.
External links
- Official website
- Matir Moina at AlloCiné (in French)
- Matir Moina at AllMovie
- Matir Moina at the Bangla Movie Database (in Bengali)
- Matir Moina on IMDb
- Matir Moina at Metacritic
- Matir Moina at PORT.hu (in Hungarian)
- Matir Moina at Rotten Tomatoes
- Matir Moina at the TCM Movie Database
- Others