Film fest on Bangladesh's liberation war

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) Six films centred around different aspects and effects of Bangladesh's 1971 "war of liberation" will be screened here as part of a special film festival starting here Friday.

Bangladesh was born in 1971 out of then East Pakistan after a fierce liberation battle aided by India.

It is to spread awareness about people's struggle during the war, among the youth that the three-day film festival has been organised, says Mahbub Hassan Saleh, Bangladesh's deputy high commissioner in India.

"The people of both the countries, particularly the younger generation need to know more about what happened in those days. Three million people were murdered, 200,000 of our mothers and sisters were victimised by Pakistan army and their local collaborators," Saleh told reporters here.

"Today's young generation throughout the world have a right to know such historic events of the war of liberation. This is a modest effort on our part," he added.

The tri-city film fest began in Kolkata in December 2011 and last month it was organised in Agartala. Now it has come to the capital and is being jointly organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) and Bangladesh High Commission.

"Matir Mohra (The Clay Bird)", "Khelaghar (Dollhouse)", "Joyjatra", "Khondo Golpo - 1971 (1971 - A Few Shattered Tales)", "Amar Bondhu Rashed (My Friend Rashed)" and "Guerilla" will be screened at the Siri Fort auditorium here as part of the festival.

"Each movie is different in storyline..while some tell about the sacrifices that our forefathers made, some talk about individuals' feelings post war. We tried to select films with diverse storylines which could give a sense of Bangladesh in 1971. They broadly and deeply depict the war," said Saleh.

Morsheduh Islam, director of "Khelaghar" and "Amar Bondhu Rashed" will attend the festival.

"Khelaghar" puts focus on how women became a major victim of the 1971 war, while the latter highlights the participation of teenagers in the liberation war, and their journey from being an adolescent to a man.

Actress Joya Ahsan, who featured in "Guerilla", will also fly down to the capital to be a part of the festival.