The film The Red Flower, based on the experience of the director, is set in a rural village of Bangladesh and describes the ritual of circumcision. “Circumcision is an essential ritual that all Muslim male go through some point in their life. The way it is done vary from place to place, culture to culture. For me this was done exactly the way it is depicted in this film. One sunny afternoon a man arrived with a mystic entity created a feeling of fear, which I still feel very present in my emotion. The family was in a ritual mood eager to fulfil some eternal task. Their devotion to unknown became more important than a child’s fear, safety and comfort. This ritual is one of many events through which a belief system can take start. From a child’s point of view the flower meant a beauty out of any religious question. May be we all can follow his foot step and reach the beauty without the question of any belief.”

Screenplay Makbul Chowdhury
Photography (colour) Makbul Chowdhury
Editing Makbul Chowdhury
Sound
Music Miguel Espinoza, Ty Burhoe, Hans Christian
Cast Sayed Zahan, Mithila Talukdar , Tarek Chowdhury
Production Tarek Chowdhury
Year of production
Running time 11’
Format HD

Makbul Chowdhury

Born and grown up in Bangladesh. He has been actively involved in alternative film movement as a longstanding member of Bangladesh Short Film Forum since 1989. He attended various film making courses including a one year course on script writing and film direction organised by the State for new emerging filmmakers. In 1995 he migrated to England and studied Social Work. He works as a social worker for the London Local Authority Children Services. He is also a photographer and a video editor. He has been actively involved in independent film making for past 20 years. Best Documentary Award for Eclipse (1994) and London Bangla Press Club Award for A Son on the Empire (2005).