THE SALT IN OUR WATERS

For his latest art installation, Rudro journeys to a remote mangrove isle on the Bangladeshi Delta, a day's boat ride and a world away from modern, crowded Dhaka. Welcomed by the local fishermen and their leader Chairman, Rudro's modern ideas and lifelike sculptures enchant the village boys and his landlord's daughter. But when the local Ilish catch proves elusive, the elders blame Rudro’s “idolatry” for the curse of empty nets. In this vanishing land where sea and sky merge, a storm is brewing and change – welcome or not – is coming.

“The film is also a classic clash‐of‐cultures tale where a stranger from the city is first welcomed, then misunderstood, and eventually ostracized by a rural community. My protagonist Rudro, a sculptor, believes he can honor a fishing community by creating sculptures that capture the raw beauty of the people and their traditions. He ends up finding himself in a conflicted relationship with the conservative local leaders. I see the fishing island of this film as a microcosm of Bangladesh, in unity as in division.”

DIRECTOR, SCREENPLAY: Rezwan Shahriar Sumit. CINEMATOGRAPHY: Chananun Chotrungroj. FILM EDITING: Kristan Sprague, Luiza Parvu, Sankha. SET DESIGN: Sylvain Nahmias. MUSIC: Arnob. CAST: Fazlur Rahman Babu, Shatabdi Wadud, Titas Zia, Tasnova Tamanna, Dulari Begum, Aminur Rahman Mukul. PRODUCERS: Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, Ilann Girard. PRODUCTION: mypixelstory & ARSAM International.