Shanghai: In a cinematic triumph that has sent ripples through the international festival circuit, 24 year old Bangladeshi filmmaker Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad’s debut feature, The Blind Girl and an Elephant, has taken home the Best Cinematography Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Competing in the Asian New Talent section, the film earned top visual honors for its haunting, high contrast black and white cinematography. The decision to strip away color was far more than an aesthetic gamble; it served as a direct visual metaphor for the bleak, restricted reality imposed on its lead characters.
"I believe that color is realistic, but black-and-white is more realistic in my film style," Zihad explained regarding the visual treatment. "Those three girls have a black-and-white, colorless life. So I want to portray their world that way."
Three Women, One Unyielding System
Set against the backdrop of a remote Bangladeshi village, the film tracks three protagonists bound by female solidarity: Momi, who is blind; Hima, a young schoolgirl; and Laili, who is pregnant. Each dreams of breaking free from a social order governed by religious conservatism, superstition, and male authority choices that carry increasingly dangerous consequences.
The central metaphor of the title lays bare the psychological divide between the genders:
- The Female Reality: Women see themselves as gentle, harmless giants navigating a constrained world.
- The Male Fear: The patriarchal structure views these same women as an inherent threat to be subdued and controlled.
Among its most searing storylines, the film exposes how distorted religious interpretations leave victims of abuse without legal recourse or justice, while mainstream media routinely averts its eyes to preserve institutional dignity.
Production Background and The New Wave
Zihad developed the project following his studies at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, where his instructor Manoj Pramanik stepped in as lead producer under the Manpachitra banner. German producer Christoph Thoke (Mogador Film) joined as associate producer alongside co producer Fazle Hasan Shishir.
The cinematographer's victory in Shanghai underscores a major shift in contemporary South Asian cinema, joining acclaimed titles like Master (Rotterdam Big Screen Award winner) in declaring the arrival of a fearless new generation of directors.
Zihad has already begun work on his next feature, Mother Stitching Her Last Story, an intimate narrative exploring the bond between a mother and her son.
