Muktir Gaan (Songs of Freedom) by Tareque and Catharine Masud
Synopsis: During the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, a cultural troupe, named 'Bangladesh Mukti Shangrami Shilpi Shangstha' ('Association of Liberation Fighters (Artists) of Bangladesh') used to travel to refugee camps and different places in liberated areas. They performed patriotic songs, arranged puppet shows and staged dramas to inspire the freedom fighters and lift the spirits of people affected by war. Muktir Gaan (1995) took 25 years to make. Tareque Masud and Catherine Masud used original footage shot by American film-maker Lear Levin, as well as other archival footage collected from United Kingdom and India.
Certification: 15
Tickets: £5
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Mahmedur Rahman Benu, Catherine Masud and Val Harding (who worked in the refugee camps in India during that time). The event will be hosted by Urmee Mazhar.
Banglaverse Film Festival is part of Bangladesh@50, a season of events throughout 2021 which mark 50 years since the independence of Bangladesh. Tower Hamlets is home to a large and vibrant Bengali community for whom the declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 was a pivotal moment.