The film "Khowab: Castle in The Air," which depicts the struggles of Jamdani weavers, has been invited to Japan's prestigious Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2024.
The film will be screened in the Live-Action Asia International Competition segment of the festival, which will be held in various venues in Tokyo, Japan from June 4 to June 17.
Over 200 films from various countries will be screened at the festival. Based on a story by Liza Asma Akhter, "Khowab: Castle in The Air" has been produced under the banner of Dream Shadow and directed by Hemanta Sadeeq. The film stars Ashish Khandokar and Liza Asma Akhter as a weaver couple.
The film revolves around a village weaver named Kanchan, who wants to keep her family's traditional handloom because it holds ancestral memories, but he is forced to switch to power looms to increase production. He struggles to hold on to his dreams in the face of poverty and reality.
Meanwhile, his wife is expecting, and they need to produce more saree, which is only possible using power looms. Kanchan's ancestors come to him in his dreams and ask him not to sell his loom. Kanchan weaved a red Jamdani saree for his wife, which is both expensive in the market and a symbol of his love and affection for his wife.
But Kanchan couldn't keep the red Jamdani for his wife, the moneylender (cloth merchant) forcibly takes the saree from him before their biggest religious festival Durga Puja. Kanchan dreams that he will be able to make a red Jamdani for his wife in the next puja.
"It's really great news and an achievement for us that 'Khowab' will be screened at this prestigious festival. I hope it will leave a lasting impression on the audience," said Liza Asma Akter.
The 25-minute film "Khowab: Castle in the Air" will be screened at the festival on the evening of June 13.
