Tareque Sharier is one of the pioneer Short filmmaker in Bangladesh. Kalighar, his documentary film, has won the Best International Documentary film award in 6th International short film festival of Iranian Young [Cinema society of Tehran in 2001. This documentary film has also been exhibited in the International Competition category of the 6th International film Festival in Mumbai and in the It is Truth category of the 20th International Film Festival in Hawaii. Kalighar is a sole contribution in Internationalism of Bangladeshi Films. Tareque Sharier was so interviewed about his unique creation, Kaighar.
Q. What intended you to choose such a subject for KALIGHAR’[the black house]?
A: What I want to say is that ‘KALIGHAR’[the black house] is actually a film produced by an institution. Executive Producer of Step towards Development told me that he wants there films to be made which will be made freely with no conventional topic. He wanted to produce something creative a document with no interference in work. That means, I am here getting a chance of making a documentary film on my own., Them I asked him about topic and he gave me three one on Buriganga river, on child labors. I chose the Buriganga topic but only the topic of child labor was left. I had no interest in working on such hardcore poverty like child labor. Though them I agreed. I always wonder about we have political crisis in our country. There is natural disaster cyclone. Draught floods though people live. This wonderful power of living in human makes me think. Actually I always want to talk about man’s power. Though then, I agreed to make this documentary on child labor for some real reason since then a confusion raised. To letter, the same confusion takes place in the structure of this documentary. I decided to do the work so .Cause, the word freedom was attracting me from behind on and on. The joy of doing work on one’s own is today different I hung on talked acquainted with the child labors and their families of Lalbag and kamrangichar. After that, I felt that it is necessary to reveal their status. On one hand my personal hesitation was not to work on the subject. On the other hand, I was feeling the need of expressing their reality. Kalighar thus started its January .
Q. Why was it named KALIGHAR’[the black house]?
A: This is so interesting that my editor Huda was demanding continuously that it should be named Kalibari. But I felt that kalibari can create a confusions many can assume that it is made on Bengali culture or something like that kalibari there was such a monastery of kali just in front of the school I used to read. That place was so called kalibari there is many other places named kalibari in Bangladesh. I named the film kalighar so to get out of such confusion.
Q. Various experiencing moment comes during shooting can you share any from the shooting of kalighar.
A: In making of any documentary newer experiences occur. It’s my constant feeling that making a documentary is a matter of discovery and rediscovery. Sometimes I feel my thought is true, and sometimes I feel not. Every time, so discovery and rediscovery goes on in a film maker mind. In this aspect working on another class is acquiring a new experience. During making His film what I tried to evoke was we the middle class people look at them in their outlook. As our Request invest for us in our childhood send us to school. They hope they will depend on us in future. And their parents can not send them to school, rather they send them to factories to learn to be skilled in work form their very childhood, to find on economical resort. Then, they become confused thinking about their children’s survival in the atmosphere they work. An in the community I worked there, it was so tough to enter with camera. Firstly it is necessary to acquire their trust. They do not actually want to trust us as a class. The process of winning their trust is also a huge experience indeed.
Q. What type of problems did you face during work?
A: As I built up a good relationship with them, no big problem was created. But, Jasim, a child labor was fired from his job for working in the documentary It created a little problem as it was in the middle of the shooting and his family encountered a pressure full situation. That was the first time I faced realty. The confusion started from there. I tried to save the problem in three ways Firstly I gave Jasims mother the amount of money Jasim would get from his job as long as he did not have the job back secondly together with some local people I talked to the owner of the factory about Jasim’s reemployment. I tend to feel a new thought since them. Me, who always opposes the conception of child labor has now tried to get a child Labor back to his work I have tried to woke this confusion inside me in kalighar.
Q. As you said it is hand to enter there with camera General access is not easy, didn’t you face any problem there to take camera?
A: There was not much problems except Jasim loosing his job. Because I have some processes. As on shooting day I would show them the camera, the camera, they will hear their own voice. My biggest privilege was the three or four local with me. They gave me so strong support. As a result of their support, a nice atmosphere has been made. It is my personal opinion that, it is obvious for a documentary film maker to built up a trustful relationship with every person of the real life he is w3orking on. The people are to be made to believe that the work will not go against them.
Q. Kalighar did not seem to be conventional where generally, documentary films seen to be so traditional and the audiences finds it so boring. It didnt happen in your film. In this case what was hour technique?
A: When we make a fictional film we create character; And apply dialogue according to the character Just alike when I work on real life I take every single person, I am working on as an individual character. What I have to think is I have to form them as characters. I do not view conversation with characters as an interview. I feel that they are giving statements: I edit the dialogues as my wish, like a dramatist refines his dialogues editing them. I just want the important facts to be highlighted. Documentary has a aesthetics of its own which is not applied that much in Bangladesh. If every man can be made as a single character, if the audiences find different character instead of only interviewer, and if the character are brought out perfectly then audience will not go out.
Q. Meeting, procession, seminar making of films on the neglected labor society of different class are occurring in different times in our country. kalighar too is a step of a development organizational The child you worked on Rekha, Ayesha, Jasim have this film been able to bring about a change in their life style?
A. A writer or a film maker is not a reformer of a society. He only can open other’s eyes. That means he can point out the problems. That socio economical status Bangladesh has child labor can not be established in one click. But Government and related authorities have to work places. It is totally their responsibility to work the plan out successfully. If the documentary plays any role in their work, I will feel a less remorse.
Q. Kalighar has gained international recognition. It has been exhibited in many festivals are you Are you satisfied with kalighar?
A: kalighar is an involved project of mine not a dream project. kalighar is not actually the type of film I want to make but I have tried to do the work being fully involved . In this aspect, I coming back to Dhaka from Tehran via Bahrain when I was boarding on plane on 80 clock at night, I was then thanking of not the idea of feeling recognition Because I say there is nothing to admit done in art actually, I want to forget that I have got an award. I want to go on working like I was doing before.
Q. Say something about film festival in Iran.
A: Iranian Cinema is now global cinema. Two film institution was established in the 70’s . It was in five years before Iranian revolution. One institute is called ‘Free Cinema’. Film makers like Abbas And another institution is Iranian Young Society festival with the patronization of the Ministry of culture of Iran. In this festival four prizes are given the Best fiction Award went to VSA, the Best Animation to Uk and the Best Documentary to Bangladesh.
Q. You have attained international festival and have seemed many international films there. Comparing with them how is the quality of Bangladeshi film festivals and films?
A: Along with 6th International film festival went on the short film festival. There by the time they belt their short film has reached a special quality they have started international festivals to enter the field of international competition of the ministry of culture of that country the control is on the organizers had Government of Bangladesh can take such step in objecting festivals in Bangladesh. On short film forum is organizing International festivals full length feature films. We can use the surplus got from the festival budget of film festival in films making. If we have competition category in those festivals, we will be more cautious about the qualities of films to compete with the foreign countries. But it will take time we should go on moving for ward gradually.
[This is the interview of Late Tareque Sharier, Famous and dedicated Film director, short film activist. He was interviewed by me(Rashed Hafiz) and Rodela Nirupama just before 4 weeks before he had died in 5th June 2003 and interview was published at 2004 in a publication by Dhaka University Film Society named ‘Flashback’.]
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