Daag, a deep scar

.
.

Rape and sexual abuse is not just a by-product of war but are deliberate military strategies to perpetuate social control and redraw ethnic boundaries.

Daag (Scratch), a 13-minute film by director Josim Ahmed dealing with Bangladesh’s liberation war, sketched an incident portraying a rape that led to revenge.

The short film has already created strong vibes and been selected at the Cannes Film Festival 2017.

Written by the director himself, Daag has been selected for the short film corner of the Cannes (Cannes Court Metrage) making it the first short film of Bangladesh ever in the category.

Sharmin Joha Soshee, Shotabdi Wadud, Bakar Bakul have acted in this film.

Depicting a wedding, joy and festivity in Old Dhaka in 1979, the film starts with a portrayal of heritage.

However, the wedding does not bring joy or happiness for the bride, Shila.

Brutally raped by a collaborator of the Pakistani army in 1971, her horrific experience flushes her memories in a parallel portrayal on the first night of her wedding.

.
.



During the war of liberation, Shila would live in the old part of Dhaka city with her father. Her fiancé Zafar - a guerrilla freedom fighter -storms into her place to inform her of an imminent guerrilla attack on the city in which he will take part.

With Zafar’s departure, loud knocks break down her door and a gang of Pakistani collaborators enter in search of the guerrilla fighter. They murder her father. The gang leader Khayer rapes Shila.

The face of Khayer is etched on her memory and she is imbibed with a thirst for vengeance. To her, the war was yet to end. Khayer had forgotten his misdeeds as he married her so many years on and swooped down on her with his habitual lustful style of bestiality on the wedding night. Shila this time was prepared for her revenge.    

The film has portrayed mastery in its photography, music and costume. Suspense created in portraying the turbulent times of war, the use of colour in choosing costumes on the verge of deflection and parallel portrayal of two different times in juxtaposition to depict the horror of insult, agony, pain and revenge, grips the viewer throughout.

This is the first film of Josim Ahmed. Before this, he created several documentaries and dramas for the small screen. He mostly featured the Liberation War of Bangladesh in his documentaries which have received a lot of appreciation.

His documentary 'Bondishalay Noy Mash' that featured the nine month story of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman imprisonment of Pakistan has received a lot of praise.