Sights and Sounds of Bangladesh

January 25, 2008 8:00 pmtoJanuary 26, 2008 12:00 pm

 

 

 

Drishtipat Canada invites you to attend

“Sights and Sounds of Bangladesh”

A unique fundraising event for long term rehabilitation of Cyclone Sidr survivors

Tickets are available online at www.drishtipat.ca (Price : $15, all major credit cards accepted).

Where: York Woods Theatre, 1785 Finch Ave W, Toronto (TTC Finch Ave. West bus #36 from Finch subway station, stops at Tobermory Dr.)

When: Friday January 25, 2008 @ 8:00 PM

To pledge a donation or sponsor the event, please visit www.deshantori.ca/events.html

 

Come and join us for

- complementary BUFFET DINNER!!!!
- a night of colorful performances by Sharmita Bhattacharya, Daniel, and Lamia Syed.
- exciting and unique multimedia sights and sounds of Bangladesh created by Tarik Sayeed
- watch critically acclaimed and international award winning documentary Deshantori (english subtitles) by Mridul Chowdhury and Sujan Mahmud

Feature Presentations:

1. Deshantori, meaning “The Migrant” is a Bangladeshi film released in January 2007 that has won wide acclaim both in Bangladesh and abroad. Although set in Bangladesh, Deshantori transcends all barriers of geography and audience—with wide appeal to international viewers of all backgrounds and circumstances. Deshantori brings to life the circumstances in developing nations that forces young people towards illegal migration. It develops around the re-construction of a shockingly painful journey of 26 young Bangladeshis who tried to migrate to Spain illegally through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea (in which they were forced to resort to cannibalism to stay alive). The film is thought-provoking—exploring how lack of social justice and economic opportunities can force people to take drastic measures, and then taking it a step further to highlight the inherent resilience of our youth in the face of grave situations. Deshantori is symbolic of the ambition, strength, resilience and hope that we all aspire towards. Migration is a natural phenomenon, but in Bangladesh, this seems to have turned into a desperate and sometimes reckless effort by tens of thousands of young people from almost all socio-economic backgrounds. Why is taking on risky and sometimes life threatening attempts to migrate becoming an acceptable option for a large segment of the youth? In an effort to investigate the causes of this behavior, a filmmaker takes on a journey that discovers an emotional panorama ranging from the deepest frustrations of the young generation to their infallible national pride. The film serves as a mirror to society featuring interviews of Prof. Md. Zafar Iqbal and Anisul Huq, both popular youth idols in Bangladesh. The backdrop of the film is provided by reconstruction of the heart-wrenching story of 26 young Bangladeshis who set out on an illegal journey to Spain through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in 2005. Through unexpected twists and turns, the film takes the viewer in a journey filled with emotions of all kinds – frustration, joy, anger, laughter, pain, and national pride. Please visit http://www.deshantori.com/trailer.html to view a trailer.

2. Sights and Sounds of Bangladesh, will be Tarik Sayeed’s first formal debut in Toronto. Tarik is an experimental film maker and a media activist. He worked with several underground films in New York and just recently moved to Toronto. One of his shorts has been picked up by mediarights.org and another was screened at the Queens Museum of Art. Tarik’s interest lies in the unlimited possibilities of media and his films often incorporate documentary elements with striking editing techniques.

All proceeds will be donated through the United Bangladesh Appeal to provide long term assistance to survivors of cyclone Sidr.

About Drishitpat Canada

Drishtipat is a registered non-profit, volunteer-based organization, consisting mainly of expatriate Bangladeshis. We are the Canadian chapter of Drishtipat. DP Canada’s target, like that of other chapters around the world, is to promote and protect the basic human rights of the people of Bangladesh. Our aim is not simply to help those who are less fortunate, but to empower the nation of Bangladeshis as a whole towards becoming future leaders. DP Canada was initiated in the fall of 2005, and has since been working actively towards its goal of seeing a ‘Better Bangladesh’. Drishtipat Canada has been raising funds for Sidr survivors in two phases. The first phase was an immediate response to the mass devastation, and funds were raised and transferred to the affected areas immediately. We are currently working on the second phase in co operation with the United Bangladesh Appeal.

About United Bangladesh Appeal

The United Bangladesh Appeal (UBA) is an umbrella organization seeking to leverage the power of the global expatriate networks to help Bangladesh. UBA consists of a number of existing expatriate Bangladeshi organizations who came together in the aftermath of Hurricane Sidr in order to unify the expatriate Bangladeshi community towards a common goal. UBA was formed spontaneously on November 20, 2007 by young Bangladeshi professionals from around the globe who realized that while the various different Bangladeshi expatriate organizations may have varied and divergent interests, there are times of national crisis when a coordinated and unified response can have the greatest impact. The goal is to raise $500,000 for the long term rehabilitation of Sidr survivors. For more information visit: www.unitedbangladeshappeal.org.

January 23, 2008 | Filed Under Events | Leave a Comment