In a groundbreaking achievement, Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury's compelling film "Boli" (The Wrestler) has secured a top award in the New Currents category at the 28th Busan International Film Festival. This marks an unprecedented milestone for Bangladesh's burgeoning film industry.
"Boli" emerges as the first Bangladeshi entry to clinch this coveted title, sharing the limelight with Japan's "Mori Tatsuya." Both films, hailed for their narrative prowess, were awarded a substantial prize of $30,000 each.
Judges in the New Currents section at the Busan festival commended Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury's work, declaring, "His film 'The Wrestler' is akin to a gripping single-round wrestling match, where the story is magically told."
The film stars Nasir Uddin Khan as a rugged fisherman from a coastal region. Director Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury envisions 'Boli' as a timeless classic with potential global appeal.
Producer Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury said that the movie was continuously shot in the coastal area of Chittagong in April-May 2022. Even before that, the audition of the movie took place for a long time. A group of young talented artists from Chittagong and Dhaka worked in this movie. The movie is likely to hit the theaters later this year.
Furthermore, Chowdhury emphasized the importance of preserving the regional Chittagong language, stating, "Many of the newer generations in Chittagong have steered away from our regional dialect, resulting in the erosion of our native language. 'Boli' will serve as a repository of our linguistic heritage, as it has already earned a place in the archives of the Busan Cinema Centre."
Financial backing from the Government of Bangladesh in the fiscal year 2020-21 greatly contributed to the production of "Boli." Additionally, the film was selected as the preliminary choice for the Hubert Bals Fund, a prestigious global film fund, in September of the previous year.
The screenings of "Boli" at the Busan International Film Festival on October 7, 8, and 9 were met with enthusiastic responses. Post-screening sessions saw the "Boli" team engaging with the audience, addressing numerous inquiries.
