Kolkata June 18: City-based film-maker Supriyo Sen has won the prestigious BBC audience award at the second Commonwealth film festival, Manchester, UK, for his film 'Way Back Home' a poignant personal work on the Partition of India. According to the British Council, which supported Sen's visit to the United Kingdom, the film has him following his parents as they visit their homeland in Bangladesh.
"The journey, individual and collective memories and the historical consciousness arising from personal recollections makes for a poignant film and adds a very personal touch to the historical event of partition ... A courageous and militant reminder of defining events for the people of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh," the British Council said in a statement. Shot clandestinely, the film, made with help from the Jan Vrijman fund of the international documentary festival of Amsterdam, had been censored by the Film Certification Board of India. The film, however, will be released commercially at the West Bengal's government's cultural complex Nandan after a formal launch by celebrated film-maker Mrinal Sen on July 7 at the British Council here.
"I am happy that my film was well received by the people of Britain, but also because this may mean that other film- makers like myself can receive funding and support in the Commonwealth in the future," said an elated Sen, whose three earlier documentaries 'Wait Until Dark,' 'Dream of Hanif' and 'The Nest' have also received critical acclaim. The Commonwealth Film Festival has so far showcased 150 features, shorts and documentaries, besides organising seminars, workshops and public screenings.
Bureau Report