Once There Were Rivers
𝙊𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 is about digging into the history of Bangladesh's rivers specifically around the metropolitan Dhaka City and how it has shaped our ecosystem, trades, culture, craft and thus our cycle of life. Harbouring over 700 rivers, this tiny nation has been an integral pillar of the world for textiles. We have thrived for centuries harnessing our roots in the textile industry from producing natural dyes to cotton to jute and turning them into one-of-a-kind garments that had stunned the world in awe and spectacle of our powerful art. With growing industrialization & urbanization to accommodate our rapid population Bangladesh faces incredible numbers of issues around environmental equity and loss of craftsmanship. The values of lives have changed and this documentary focuses on understanding these changes over time witnessed and experienced by the people who have lived by the rivers or had to migrate due to loss of land to flood and soil erosion. It aims to show the world that the meaning of life is the connection between our nature and history. Once we understand who we are, we will be capable and driven to protect our heritage and our environment.
"Once There were Rivers", a short documentary film by Mahenaz Chowdhury (@mahenaz.chowdhury on IG) (founder of Broqué) , Emad Bin Mohammed Hassan (EmTree) and Sica Simonato (@sicasimonato on IG) (founder of @sica_up ) for the Goethe Pop Up Curators from the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh (@goethe_bangladesh on IG) . Direction, Cinematography and Post Production: Emad B. M. Hassan (@iemtree on IG)
