THE CLAY BIRD (MATIR MOINA)

Throughout July and August, The Garden Cinema is excited to present an array of screenings and special events around South Asian Heritage Month 2023, which is themed ‘Stories to Tell.’ The films chosen include suggestions by our members and local residents, alongside partnership events with curator Anupma Shanker, SUPAKINO, and London Bengali Film Festival. The screenings will explore a range of themes, from identity and community to gender, faith, and family, with a special focus on music, dance and drama.

About the film:

The masterpiece of Bangladeshi writer and director Tareque Masud (who was tragically killed in an accident in 2011), The Clay Bird won the FIPRESCI Prize in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes 2002 and was the first Bangladeshi film to compete for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, despite being initially banned in its home country.

Set against a 1960’s backdrop leading up to Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan, THE CLAY BIRD tells the story of Anu, a boy sent away by his father to an Islamic school. Far from his family and the warmth of his region’s Hindu festivities, Anu struggles to break out of his shell and adapt to the school’s harsh monastic life. As the political divisions in the country intensify, an increasing split develops between the school’s students, just as Anu’s parents find themselves growing apart. Rather than be torn in half, Anu must decide which side he falls upon, in this complex tale of tolerance and cultural diversity.

Performed by a largely non-professional cast, THE CLAY BIRD has an empathetic eye for the innocence of childhood, a quiet wisdom and a wry sense of comedy; all beautifully backed by imagery of life on Bangladesh’s waterways and in its towns.

The film will be introduced by Dr Priyanka Basu, King’s College London.

More info: https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/film/the-clay-bird-matir-moina/

Full Season: https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/season/south-asian-heritage-month/