Tareq Masud's "The Clay Bird" - First Bangladeshi Film To Go On General Release In UK
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BBC News
Tuesday, 8 July, 2003, 14:02 GMT 15:02 UK
Clay Bird explores Pakistan strife
by Bisakha Ghose
The Clay Bird (Matir Maina) is the first film from Bangladesh to go on
general release in the UK.
This Cannes-award winning film is set in East Pakistan (now
Bangladesh) as it goes through the throes of great social and
political change in the 1960s and 1970s.
People at this time were beginning to question their commitment to the
eastern half of a country, the rest of which was separated not only by
the landmass of India, but by social, linguistic and cultural
practices.
The Clay Bird uses this backdrop of turmoil to show how a little boy -
Anu - deals with the contradictions between the rigid, fundamentalist
tradition of a "madrasah" - an Islamic school - and a more free,
rational lifestyle.
The story evolves round Anu, whose religious and conservative father
sends him from a free village life to study in an Islamic school that
usually provides education and a good square meal for poor boys.
The rigid discipline and rote learning of the holy texts deprive the
students of free thinking and any natural childhood exuberance.
Despite the challenges, Anu learns to create his own space with the
help of his irrepressible classmate Rokon - an orphan - who refuses to
let the system destroy his imagination.
As tension mounts between the Bengali-speaking people of East Pakistan
and their rulers from West Pakistan, the estrangement is also
reflected in the relations between Anu's father and his mother.
It takes a major crackdown by the Pakistani army to change Anu's life
and that of the country.
Beautifully shot in the villages of Bangladesh, with sensitive
performances by the two young boys, director Tareque Masud recreates
his own childhood in the film.
At a time when there is a lot of misconception about the role of Islam
and fundamentalism, Masud gently mocks the rigidity of the Islamic
schools - where he had been sent to study as a young boy - and tries
to show that the more rational and liberal spirit of Muslims in his
country cannot be crushed.
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New York Times
April 5, 2003, Saturday
ARTS & IDEAS/CULTURAL DESK
FILM FESTIVAL REVIEWS; A Child Copes With Dad's Zealotry
By ELVIS MITCHELL
This is probably an unusual -- but perhaps apt -- time for Tareque
Masud's intelligent drama, ''The Clay Bird,'' an offering of the New
Directors/New Films series and easily one of the finest pictures of
this year or any other. Masud's expansive fluidity is rapturous,
inspired equally by the floating equanimity of Satyajit Ray and the
work of the Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, who deftly uses ritual
behavior to provide social commentary.
Set in Bangladesh in the 1960's, ''The Clay Bird,'' showing tonight
and tomorrow at noon, questions the nature of dedication to Islam. It
doesn't attack fealty, but eventually rebukes zealotry by showing a
boy's reaction to his father's recent total immersion.
Anu (Nurul Islam Bablu) is sent off to a religious school by his
father, Kazi (Jayanto Chattopadhyay). Kazi -- who once ''dressed as an
Englishman,'' one of his friends says -- doesn't want his son tainted
by the outside world. His obedient though doubtful wife, Ayesha
(Rokeya Prachy), quietly expresses through frowns her concern about
Kazi's close-minded new seriousness. She gently reasons with her boy,
and the bright Anu resigns himself to his new life.
At the school, despite the rigorous discipline meted out by the
teachers, there's the cliquishness and hierarchical behavior found
among any group of young people. The boys initially ostracize the new
kid but eventually accept him.
Anu gravitates toward the one boy who will never be accepted: the
oddball Rokon (Russell Farazi). Rokon can't suppress his enthusiasms,
and he hasn't learned how to play up to the teachers by pretending to
go along with the program, as the other boys have; they've already
picked up the duplicity that adults often mistake for maturity. (They
have to conceal much of themselves, since they're allowed to play only
when practicing martial arts.)
The loss of innocence is only one of the motifs here. Anu's sister
becomes sick and suffers even more when Kazi refuses to let his wife
give her antibiotics. He's wedded to homeopathy and prayer as
treatment.
Rokon is constantly rebuked by almost everyone. At one point, he's
punished by a teacher for using his left hand to write; it's thought
to be disrespectful. But Rokon keeps to his ways; his naturalness
represents sacrifice, the biggest casualty of zealotry. He loves his
imaginary friends and runs off to hiding places where he snacks on
desserts that he claims to have received from a nonexistent playmate.
The school does have one teacher not bound to rigid ideology: Ibrahim,
who recognizes Anu's decency and takes as much interest in Rokon's
well-being as he can under the circumstances. But it's hard when Rokon
is plagued by a buzzing in his ears, occurring at the worst times, as
when one of the instructors delivers a grim sermon on the conviction
needed for Islam.
Masud's sensitivity gives the film a pungent emotional clarity; he
recognizes that naďveté isn't a province only of childhood. Kazi's a
naif, too, and learns the hard way that following a path without
independent thought is a fool's errand. He's ultimately devastated
when he learns of the civil war and Muslims attacking other Muslims:
the revolution is coming and it claims Kazi's way of life. His
brother, the bespectacled, curious Milon, can smell change in the
winds and waxes rhapsodic about it. (He slips the medicine for Anu's
sister to Ayesha and scolds Kazi for his ''Hindu nonsense.'')
''The Clay Bird'' is not without a sense of humor. Milon has his
strongly held beliefs, too; he's devoted to Communism and its ideals.
Such a need connects these men as brothers, and it's gently mocked:
''Kazi's homeopathy and your Marx party, both came from Germany,'' one
of Milon's pals says. It's also evident that Masud loves all his
characters, even the small-minded ones -- the sign of a real director.
It's no small achievement to make a picture that extols the necessity
for clear, free thought while dramatizing the barriers that challenge
such a capacity.
THE CLAY BIRD
Directed by Tareque Masud; written (in Bengali, with English
subtitles) by Mr. Masud and Catherine Masud; director of photography,
Sudheer Palsane; edited and produced by Ms. Masud; music by Moushumi
Bhowmik; art directors, Kazi Rakib and Sylvain Nahmias. Running time:
98 minutes. This film is not rated. Shown with a 10-minute short,
Nilesh Patel's ''Love Supreme,'' tonight at 9 p.m. and Sunday at noon
at the MoMA Gramercy, 127 East 23rd Street, between Lexington and
Third Avenues, as part of the 32nd New Directors/New Films series of
the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the department of film and
media of the Museum of Modern Art.
WITH: Nurul Islam Bablu (Anu), Russell Farazi (Rokon), Jayanto
Chattopadhyay (Kazi) and Rokeya Prachy (Ayesha).
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Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
24 May, 2002
Remove the ban on Matir Moina
by Naeem Mohaiemen
The Bangladesh Film Censor Board (FCB) has refused to issue a censor
certificate to the film Matir Moina (Clay bird). This ruling overturns
the earlier decision by the FCB (which is a division of the Ministry
of Information) to issue an 'uncut' certificate to the film. In a
letter to the director Tareque Masud, the FCB said the film should not
be projected in public as it contains "religiously sensitive"
material.
This decision comes as a great surprise to those who have seen the
film. The nation's leading newspaper The Daily Star called it a
"sensitive portrayal of a multicultural and multi-religious
Bangladesh". The film is set against the historical backdrop of
Bangladesh's 1971 liberation war in which three million people were
killed by the Pakistan army. The lead character is a madrassah
(Islamic religious school) student and is based on the personal
experiences of the director Tareque Masud. Mr Masud is a former
madrassah student and said in a newspaper interview, "I made the movie
as a fellow Muslim and wanted to inform people about the life in a
madrassah that has both strict and liberal teachers... As a former
madrassah student, I have portrayed not only the religious tolerance
and broadmindedness of Bangladeshi society but also a positive,
credible and objective pictures of the country against the negative
propaganda of western media about madrassahs" (The Daily Star).
Expressing surprise at the decision, The Daily Star wrote in an
editorial: "Given that the film depicts madrassah education in a very
sensitive light and presents the socio-religious contradictions in any
society trying to adjust to the modern world, one is left wondering
what caused the ire of the censors. In fact the film takes a very
sympathetic view of madrassah education which contrasts radically with
Western of Muslim religious education in such institutions."
The FCB's decision comes at a time when the film is receiving
attention all over the world and creating a positive image for
Bangladesh. Matir Moina was selected as the opening film for the
prestigious Directors Fortnight section of the Cannes Film festival.
This is the first time a Bangladeshi film has been include in this
world-renowned festival. On May 16th, the film's premiere received a
standing ovation at Cannes. Responding to public demand, the festival
organizers added three special screenings of the film. On May 17th,
the film was released in France nationwide by the French distributor
MK2 http://www.mk2.com/oiseau argile/index.html
MK2 is an internationally renowned distribution house and is
responsible for bringing the Iranian films of Abbas Kiarostami to a
global audience. Variety, the leading newspaper of the US film
industry, called Matir Moina an, "accomplished, emotionally involving
film -- an intimately observed story of divisions within a family that
reflect the wider clash between moderate and extremist views."
In an interview with The Daily Star, Tareque Masud said, "(it is) a
good opportunity to project a different image of Bangladesh. I hope
that the film's selection will also inspire my fellow film-makers,
particularly the younger generation, to strive for a better cinema and
to try to bring our vision of our rich culture and heritage to the
rest of the world."
Matir Moina provides a nuanced and subtle view of Islam, rather than
the stereotypical Islam-bashing of western media. We believe the FCB
of Bangladesh has committed a grave error by banning this film. This
action will only give ammunition to those who portray Islamic culture
as rigid and unyielding. Rather than protecting religious sentiments,
the ban will only stifle open discussion and progressive change. We
urge the FCB to reconsider their decision and give the film the
censorship clearance necessary for its domestic release in Bangladesh.
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BBC News
Tuesday, 14 May, 2002, 17:20 GMT 18:20 UK
Banned Bangladeshi film screens in Cannes
The authorities in Bangladesh have banned the first film from the
country invited to be shown at Cannes, one of the world's top
international film festivals.
The film, Matir Moyna, or the Clay Bird, which is directed by Tareq
Masud, tells the story of a young boy living in a madrasa or religious
seminary.
Officials in Bangladesh say the film has been refused a screening
certificate because it portrays a distorted image of the madrasa
education system.
They say this is why it could hurt the feelings of the country's
Muslim population.
Film makers in Bangladesh have called the government ban a blow to
artistic freedom and creativity.
The film will open part of the Cannes festival, known as 'Director's
fortnight', on Thursday.
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Daily Star, Dhaka, Pakistan
16 May, 2002
Editorial
Government bans Matir Moina, hopefully for the moment
Are we becoming what some quarters are accusing us of?
MATIR Moina, the film by Tariq and Catherine Masud which depicts the
experiences of a young boy from a highly conservative family in a
madrassah and his interactions with his family, school and society in
the back drop of the 6-point and 11-point movements of the late
sixties. The film ends where our Liberation War begins, with the mass
killing by Pakistan Army and the beginning of our armed struggle.
The film is going to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival tonight.
This is a unique honour for Bangladesh and the film has already
received positive reviews at home and abroad. Just at this juncture,
Bangladesh Film Censor Board has banned the film. Given that the Board
had earlier greenlighted it and chose to withdraw its consent
afterwards displays that a malaise deeper than cinematic ethics is at
work.
Out of the total eight members who saw the film first time around at
the Board, six members decided in favour of an uncut version while one
dissented and the other agreed to a qualified consent. But now the ban
has come saying that it is "religiously sensitive". Given that the
film depicts madrassah education in a very sensitive light and
presents the socio-religious contradictions in any society trying to
adjust to the modern world, one is left wondering what caused the ire
of the censors. In fact the film takes a very sympathetic view of
madrassah education which contrasts radically with Western depiction
of Muslim religious education in such institutions.
Whatever has been shown in the movie would be critical of any religion
based education system in any society in any part of the world. The
Censor Board is confusing depiction of madrassah education as a
criticism of our religion.
The government is aware that Bangladesh was billed as "cocoon of
terror" and as a fundamentalist country. On our part we have
proclaimed ourselves as a tolerant, liberal and democratic Muslim
majority society. Independent international observers also endorsed
the idea of a liberal Bangladesh not run by a narrow minded theocracy.
The latest decision on Matir Moina will definitely influence world
opinion against us and give fodder to those who malign our image.
The film has been a personal and articulate rendering of memories on a
subject which has never been dealt with appropriately. There is no
evidence of the reasons for which the film has been banned. Which
leaves us to ponder what reasons led the Film Censor Board to withdraw
an official go ahead. We cannot also understand why some specific
"cuts" were not suggested before refusing permission altogether.
Just as the Censor Board reversed its original positive decision to a
negative one, we urge them now to reconsider their decision once again
for the sake of our national interest, which is to establish ourselves
as a tolerant, liberal and democratic country in the eyes of the
international community.
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