KJ Khola Janala

A Young Filmmaker From Bangladesh Finds a Wider Screen

When a short film travels from a modest production in Dhaka to an international festival, the journey can change more than one filmmaker’s career. For 24-year-old director and writer Farhana Rahman, winning the Emerging Voices Award at the Busan New Wave Film Festival brought international attention to a story rooted in ordinary Bangladeshi life.

Her film, Under the Banyan Tree, follows a teenage girl who records the sounds of her neighbourhood while her family prepares to move away. The story is intimate, but its themes of memory, migration and belonging have reached audiences far beyond Bangladesh. Khola Janala spoke with Farhana about her creative process, the realities of independent filmmaking and her hopes for a future in cinema.

Finding Stories In Everyday Life

“I never begin with a large message,” Farhana says. “I begin with a person, a place or a small moment that stays in my mind. For this film, it was the sound of a girl calling her younger brother home before evening.”

She grew up in Narayanganj and studied media at a university in Dhaka. Her first camera was a second-hand DSLR borrowed from a cousin. The early films she made with friends were shot in narrow lanes, family homes and busy markets, often with natural light and improvised dialogue.

“Bangladesh gives you many stories without needing to search too far,” she explains. “A bus stop, a rooftop or a tea stall can reveal a whole relationship. I want my films to feel close to real life, even when the plot is fictional.”

Farhana believes local detail is important when a film reaches a global audience. Rather than explaining every cultural reference, she allows the setting, language and behaviour of her characters to carry meaning. That approach has also helped viewers connect with the wider impact of Bangladeshi dramas across television and streaming platforms.

The Award Changed The Conversation

At Busan, Under the Banyan Tree competed alongside films from several Asian countries. The jury praised its restrained direction, young performances and use of sound. Farhana remembers waiting outside the screening room when the result was announced.

“I thought they had called another filmmaker,” she says with a laugh. “Then my producer grabbed my hand and told me to go to the stage. I was shocked, and I was also thinking about whether my shoes looked all right.”

The award led to invitations from festivals in Singapore, Germany and Canada. It also brought messages from viewers who recognised the emotional pressure faced by the central character. Farhana says the international response was encouraging because the film remains strongly connected to Bangladesh.

The prize has not suddenly removed the practical problems of making independent cinema. Funding, equipment hire, permits and reliable distribution remain difficult. Still, the recognition has made it easier for her to approach producers and explain why a quiet, character-driven story deserves a place in the market.

Working Between Local And Global Audiences

Farhana has begun studying how films are promoted in Australia, where audiences may discover South Asian cinema through community screenings, film festivals, SBS programming and specialised streaming services. She is particularly interested in Melbourne’s multicultural festival circuit and Sydney’s independent cinemas, where international films can build an audience through conversation rather than large advertising campaigns.

“Australian viewers seem comfortable saying they will catch a film at the weekend, or watch it with a mate after work,” she says. “That casual culture can be useful for smaller films. People share recommendations quickly, especially when a film appears at a local festival or gets discussed online.”

She has also noticed that the Australian market separates different types of screen entertainment. A serious festival drama may sit beside mainstream Hollywood releases, television series and interactive platforms, each with its own audience expectations. For readers comparing entertainment services, practical information such as customer support details can influence how people choose where to spend their leisure time.

Her next project is a bilingual feature about a Bangladeshi-Australian family returning to Sylhet after many years abroad. The story will move between Brisbane and Bangladesh, with scenes shaped by contrasting weather, family habits and ideas of home.

Lessons From A Small Production

The filmmaker says the most valuable lesson from her award-winning project was learning to protect the emotional centre of a scene. During production, the team often had only a short window to film before traffic, rain or a location owner changed their plans.

“Small crews teach you to make decisions quickly,” she says. “You cannot wait for perfect conditions. You need to know which part of the scene carries the feeling and which details can be changed.”

Her key production principles include:

Farhana also credits her cinematographer, editor and young cast for shaping the finished film. She says an emerging director should avoid treating collaboration as a loss of control. A strong creative team can identify a better visual choice, a more natural line or a performance that reveals something absent from the script.

What Comes Next For Farhana

The award has encouraged Farhana to think beyond a single successful short film. She is developing a feature script, mentoring students at a Dhaka youth film club and considering a short documentary about women working in local transport services.

Her advice to new filmmakers is practical rather than glamorous:

She also wants international viewers to see Bangladesh through more than headlines or familiar stereotypes. “Our films can be gentle, funny, strange or experimental,” she says. “We do not have to make every story explain the country. Sometimes a character simply wants something, and that is enough.”

Farhana’s journey shows how a personal film can cross borders without losing its original texture. Her next chapter may involve larger crews and wider locations, but the creative impulse remains the same: listen closely, observe ordinary lives and trust the power of a carefully told story.

Explore more interviews, screen stories and updates from Bangladesh and around the world on Khola Janala, and follow Farhana Rahman’s next project as it moves from script to screen.