Pierre Lescure and Thierry Frémaux presented the Official Selection of the 74th Festival de Cannes at the UGC Normandie in Paris on Saturday.
In the selection list shone bright one Bangladeshi film. Director Abdullah Mohammad Saad’s second feature “Rehana Maryam Noor” made it to the prestigious and competitive “Un Certain Regard” section of the 74th Cannes Film Festival.
The trailer for “Rehana Maryam Noor,” along with new snaps from the film, was unveiled on July 2 on the official page of the festival.
In the 1:39mins trailer, we see the film’s lead, Azmeri Haque Badhon, go to extraordinary lengths to avenge a wrong done to one of her students at the medical college where she serves as an assistant professor. What drives her to take this on maybe under wraps, yet the urgency in Badhon’s expressions leave no doubt about her resolute conviction.
Directed, penned and edited by Saad, this sneak peak exudes an artistic sensibility that is particular to Bangladesh in both it’s visuals and sound design. It doesn’t reek of desperation to get a stamp of approval by a top festival, nor does it attempt to imitate existing forms of art house world cinema.
The young director raved about Badhon’s performance, which was the foreground of the trailer, saying: “Badhon was absolutely committed to the film from day one. She quite literally put everything else aside for the film, and trusted me with her life. She opened her heart and soul to her character, and I think that was the key to why she performed so brilliantly. I only had to keep the atmosphere right so that she feels safe and give her best. It was electric to watch her transformation. I am extremely lucky to have worked with her.”
The film is set to premiere at Cannes, on July 7. There will be three screenings in total of the film at this festival. An eight-member team representing RMN will attend the screening.
Jeremy Chua, Rajib Mohajan, Sydul Haque Khandaker, Adnan Habib co-produced the film. Cinematographer Tuhin Tamijul shot the film. Ali Afjal Uzzal and Sayba Talukder completed the production design and the sound design, respectively.
“Rehana Maryam Noor” boasts an ensemble cast featuring Azmeri Haque Badhon, Afia Hahin Jaima, Afia tabassum Borno, Kazi Sami Hossain, Yasir Al Haq, Saberi Alam, Abrodit Chowhdury and others.
