Tareque Masud
Encyclopedia
Tareque Masud was an award-winning Bangladeshi independent film
director. He was known for directing the films Muktir Gaan (1995) and Matir Moina
(2002), for which he won a number of international awards, including the International Critics' Prize and FIPRESCI
Prize for Directors' Fortnight
at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
. He died in a road accident on 13 August 2011 while returning to Dhaka from Manikganj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway after visiting a filming location. His microbus collided head-on with an oncoming passenger bus. The cinematographer Mishuk Munier
, a long-time colleague, was also killed in the accident, while Masud's wife Catherine Masud
was seriously injured. At the time of his death, Masud was working on a movie titled Kagojer Ful (The Paper Flower).
, Faridpur District
, Bangladesh
.
He had started his education in an Islamic madrasah
, but the outbreak of the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan
forces in 1971 put an end to his studies at the Islamic seminary. After the war, Masud pursued general education. he had completed his HSC from Dhaka College also completed his his hons' and Masters degree in History from Dhaka University.
His wife, Catherine Masud
, is a Chicago
-born film editor.Tareque Masud and Catherine had the sort of relationship of which most couples can only dream. For the last two decades, they lived together, raised their child together, worked together, wrote scripts together, made films together, and even won the Cannes together.They have a son, Nishad Bingham Putra Masud.
of Narail District
which he completed in 1989. His most famous film in early age of his career was the documentary Muktir Gaan (The Song of Freedom, 1995) where camera follows a music troupe during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. The members of the troupe sing songs to inspire freedom fighters. The film was made mainly based on the footage of American filmmaker Lear Levin that Masud got from the basement of Levin's house in New York
.
Along with his US-born wife, Catherine Masud
, who was his co-director and a film editor, Masud ran a film production house based in Dhaka
named Audiovision.
His first full-length feature film, Matir Moina
(English release title "The Clay Bird") which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival
, derives inspiration from his own childhood experiences. He won the International Critic's Award at the Cannes film Festival in 2002 for this film, as well as the FIPRESCI
Prize for Directors' Fortnight
for "its authentic, moving and delicate portrayal of a country struggling for its democratic rights." Matir Moina was received with critical praise and toured the international circuit. It was one of the first Bangladeshi films to be widely circulated and was greeted with enthusiasm for its realistic depiction of life without the melodrama
that is prevalent in many other South Asian films
.
His latest film, Ontorjatra, is a tale of two generations of Bangladeshi
diaspora
in London
. The film describes the short visit home of a divorced mother and her son. The next project of Tareque and Catherine Masud is Kagojer Phool (The Paper Flower) which deals with the incidents of the partition of the Indian subcontinent
. This film may be called the prequel of Matir Moina.
on 13 August 2011 while returning to Dhaka from Manikganj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway after visiting a shooting location. His microbus collided head-on with an oncoming passenger bus. In the accident, his wife Catherine Masud
was also seriously injured. He along with the other passengers were traveling to choose shooting locations for his new film. The name of his new movie is "Kagojer Ful" (The Paper Flower) filming of which was supposed to begin after shooting locations were elected.
Masud was travelling with long-time co-worker Mishuk Munier
, a well-known cinematographer, TV journalist and CEO of ATN News. Munier also died in the accident. The coffins of Masud and Munier were laid out in front of the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Sunday the 14th of August, when thousands of Bangladeshis came to pay their last respects. Ashfaque Munier was also the son of the martyred Bengali intellectual Munier Chowdhury
who was killed by collaborators during the liberation war of 1971.
Matir Moina
(The Clay Bird)
(The Clay Bird)
Matir Moina was also the first Bangladeshi film to compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
.
Cinema of Bangladesh
The Bangladeshi film industry has been based in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, since 1956. As of 2004, it produced approximately 100 movies a year, with an average movie budget of about 20,000,000 Bangladeshi taka...
director. He was known for directing the films Muktir Gaan (1995) and Matir Moina
Matir Moina
Matir Moina is a Bangla film directed by Tareque Masud, a Bangladeshi film director. The film was released in 2002...
(2002), for which he won a number of international awards, including the International Critics' Prize and FIPRESCI
FIPRESCI
The International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
Prize for Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. The section was created in 1969 after the events of May 1968, in which the Cannes festival was canceled in solidarity with striking workers....
at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
The 2002 Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski.-Jury:* David Lynch * Sharon Stone* Michelle Yeoh...
. He died in a road accident on 13 August 2011 while returning to Dhaka from Manikganj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway after visiting a filming location. His microbus collided head-on with an oncoming passenger bus. The cinematographer Mishuk Munier
Ashfaque Munier (Mishuk Munier)
Ashfaque Munier who was widely known as Mishuk Munier, was a world class media specialist from Bangladesh...
, a long-time colleague, was also killed in the accident, while Masud's wife Catherine Masud
Catherine Masud
Catherine Masud , born Catherine Lucretia Shapere, is wife of the Bangladeshi cinema maker Tareque Masud.-Early life:She was born in Chicago in 1963. Catherine graduated from Brown University, in economics. In late 1980s, she met with Tareque Masud and they married in 1988...
was seriously injured. At the time of his death, Masud was working on a movie titled Kagojer Ful (The Paper Flower).
Biography
Tareque Masud was born on 6 December 1956 in Nurpur village, Bhanga UpazilaBhanga Upazila
Bhanga is an Upazila of Faridpur District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.-Geography:Bhanga is located at . It has 41462 units of house hold and total area 216.34 km².-Demographics:...
, Faridpur District
Faridpur District
Faridpur is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. Faridpur District has a population of over 1.7 million people and is situated on the banks of the Padma river . It is bordered by Madaripur, Narail, Rajbari, Magura, Shariatpur, Gopalgonj, Dhaka and Manikganj...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
He had started his education in an Islamic madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
, but the outbreak of the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
forces in 1971 put an end to his studies at the Islamic seminary. After the war, Masud pursued general education. he had completed his HSC from Dhaka College also completed his his hons' and Masters degree in History from Dhaka University.
His wife, Catherine Masud
Catherine Masud
Catherine Masud , born Catherine Lucretia Shapere, is wife of the Bangladeshi cinema maker Tareque Masud.-Early life:She was born in Chicago in 1963. Catherine graduated from Brown University, in economics. In late 1980s, she met with Tareque Masud and they married in 1988...
, is a Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-born film editor.Tareque Masud and Catherine had the sort of relationship of which most couples can only dream. For the last two decades, they lived together, raised their child together, worked together, wrote scripts together, made films together, and even won the Cannes together.They have a son, Nishad Bingham Putra Masud.
Career
One of Masud's earliest works was the documentary Adam Surat (Inner Strength) on the Bangladeshi painter SM SultanSM Sultan
Sheikh Mohammed Sultan , better known as SM Sultan, was a painter from Bangladesh. Sultan was born on 10 August 1923 in Masimdia, Narail district, Bangladesh...
of Narail District
Narail District
Narail is a district in South-western in Bangladesh. It is a part of the Khulna Division.-Geography:Narail District with an area of 990.23 km², is bounded by Magura District on the north, Khulna District on the south, Faridpur District and Gopalganj District on the east, and by Jessore...
which he completed in 1989. His most famous film in early age of his career was the documentary Muktir Gaan (The Song of Freedom, 1995) where camera follows a music troupe during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. The members of the troupe sing songs to inspire freedom fighters. The film was made mainly based on the footage of American filmmaker Lear Levin that Masud got from the basement of Levin's house in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Along with his US-born wife, Catherine Masud
Catherine Masud
Catherine Masud , born Catherine Lucretia Shapere, is wife of the Bangladeshi cinema maker Tareque Masud.-Early life:She was born in Chicago in 1963. Catherine graduated from Brown University, in economics. In late 1980s, she met with Tareque Masud and they married in 1988...
, who was his co-director and a film editor, Masud ran a film production house based in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
named Audiovision.
His first full-length feature film, Matir Moina
Matir Moina
Matir Moina is a Bangla film directed by Tareque Masud, a Bangladeshi film director. The film was released in 2002...
(English release title "The Clay Bird") which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, derives inspiration from his own childhood experiences. He won the International Critic's Award at the Cannes film Festival in 2002 for this film, as well as the FIPRESCI
FIPRESCI
The International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
Prize for Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. The section was created in 1969 after the events of May 1968, in which the Cannes festival was canceled in solidarity with striking workers....
for "its authentic, moving and delicate portrayal of a country struggling for its democratic rights." Matir Moina was received with critical praise and toured the international circuit. It was one of the first Bangladeshi films to be widely circulated and was greeted with enthusiasm for its realistic depiction of life without the melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
that is prevalent in many other South Asian films
South Asian cinema
South Asian cinema refers to the cinema of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.The terms Asian cinema, Eastern cinema and Oriental cinema in common usage often encompass South Asia as well as East Asia and South East Asia...
.
His latest film, Ontorjatra, is a tale of two generations of Bangladeshi
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The film describes the short visit home of a divorced mother and her son. The next project of Tareque and Catherine Masud is Kagojer Phool (The Paper Flower) which deals with the incidents of the partition of the Indian subcontinent
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. This film may be called the prequel of Matir Moina.
Death
Masud died in a road accident near Ghior UpazilaGhior Upazila
Ghior is an Upazila of Manikganj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.-Geography:Ghior is located at . It has 24413 units of house hold and total area 145.95 km².-Demographics:...
on 13 August 2011 while returning to Dhaka from Manikganj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway after visiting a shooting location. His microbus collided head-on with an oncoming passenger bus. In the accident, his wife Catherine Masud
Catherine Masud
Catherine Masud , born Catherine Lucretia Shapere, is wife of the Bangladeshi cinema maker Tareque Masud.-Early life:She was born in Chicago in 1963. Catherine graduated from Brown University, in economics. In late 1980s, she met with Tareque Masud and they married in 1988...
was also seriously injured. He along with the other passengers were traveling to choose shooting locations for his new film. The name of his new movie is "Kagojer Ful" (The Paper Flower) filming of which was supposed to begin after shooting locations were elected.
Masud was travelling with long-time co-worker Mishuk Munier
Ashfaque Munier (Mishuk Munier)
Ashfaque Munier who was widely known as Mishuk Munier, was a world class media specialist from Bangladesh...
, a well-known cinematographer, TV journalist and CEO of ATN News. Munier also died in the accident. The coffins of Masud and Munier were laid out in front of the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Sunday the 14th of August, when thousands of Bangladeshis came to pay their last respects. Ashfaque Munier was also the son of the martyred Bengali intellectual Munier Chowdhury
Munier Chowdhury
Munier Chowdhury was a Bangladeshi educationist, playwright, literary critic and political dissident.-Education:...
who was killed by collaborators during the liberation war of 1971.
Filmography
- Sonar Beri (The Chains of Gold), 1985
- Adam Surat (The Inner Strength)(16mm, 54 mins), 1989
-
- Dir: Tareque Masud
- Documentary on the life and art of the Bangladeshi painter S.M. Sultan.
- Se (The Conversation)(35mm, 10 mins), 1993
- Dir: Tareque Masud, Shameem Akhter
- Short fiction about a strained reunion between a man and a woman.
- Unison (Umatic video, 4 mins), 1994
- Animated film about the unity of humankind.
- Muktir Gaan (The Song of Freedom)(35mm, 78 mins), 1995
- Dir: Tareque & Catherine Masud
- Feature length documentary film about a troupe of traveling musicians during the Bangladesh Liberation War '71.
- Muktir Kotha (The Story of Freedom)(Betacm SP, 82 mins), 1996
- Dir: Tareque & Catherine Masud
- Oral history documentary about experience of ordinary villagers during 1971 Liberation War
- Voices of Children (Betacam SP, 30 mins), 1997
- Dir: Tareque & Catherine Masud; Prod: Unicef/Audiovision
- Documentary on working children in Bangladesh.
- In the Name of Safety (DVCam, 25 mins), 1998
- Dir: Tareque & Catherine Masud; Prod: TVE London/Audiovision
- Documentary on human rights abuses in Bangladesh
- Narir Kotha (Women & War)(Betacam SP, 25 mins), 2000
- Dir: Tareque & Catherine Masud
- Documentary on experience of women survivors of war.
- Matir MoinaMatir MoinaMatir Moina is a Bangla film directed by Tareque Masud, a Bangladeshi film director. The film was released in 2002...
(The Clay Bird)(35mm, 98 mins), 2002
- Matir Moina
- Dir: Tareque Masud; Producer: Catherine Masud; Production: Audiovision/MK2
- A feature film based on the director's childhood experience in a madrasa in rural East Pakistan during the turbulent 60's.
- A Kind of Childhood (Betacam SP, 50 mins), 2002
- Dir: Tareque & Catherine Masud; Prod: Xingu Films/Audiovision
- A documentary on the lives and struggles of working children in Dhaka city, followed over the course of six years.
- Ontarjatra (The Homeland), 2006
- A film about a divorced lady who is returning to her homeland with her son to attend her former husband's funeral.
- Runway Premiered on 2 October 2010
- Kagojer Phool (The Paper Flower), Forthcoming
- Noroshundor (The Barber)
Won
Muktir Gaan (The Song of Freedom)- 1997 Film South Asia, Special Mention
Matir Moina
Matir Moina
Matir Moina is a Bangla film directed by Tareque Masud, a Bangladeshi film director. The film was released in 2002...
(The Clay Bird)
- 2002 Cannes Film Festival2002 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2002 Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski.-Jury:* David Lynch * Sharon Stone* Michelle Yeoh...
, International Critics' Prize - 2002 Cannes Film Festival2002 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2002 Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski.-Jury:* David Lynch * Sharon Stone* Michelle Yeoh...
, FIPRESCIFIPRESCIThe International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
Prize for Directors' FortnightDirectors' FortnightDirectors' Fortnight is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. The section was created in 1969 after the events of May 1968, in which the Cannes festival was canceled in solidarity with striking workers.... - 2002 Edinburgh International Film FestivalEdinburgh International Film FestivalThe Edinburgh International Film Festival is an annual fortnight of cinema screenings and related events taking place each June. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival...
- 2002 Montreal International Film Festival
- 2002 International Film Festival of MarrakechInternational Film Festival of MarrakechThe International Film Festival of Marrakech is an international film festival held annually in Marrakech, Morocco.-Overview:Since its inaugural year in 2000, the FIFM has been one of the biggest events devoted to Moroccan cinema...
, Best Screenplay Award - 2002 Cairo International Film FestivalCairo International Film FestivalThe Cairo International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. It was established in 1976 and was the first international film festival held in the Arab world...
- 2003 Palm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
- 2003 New Directors/New Films Festival
- 2003 Karafilm Festival, Best Film
Nominated
Matir MoinaMatir Moina
Matir Moina is a Bangla film directed by Tareque Masud, a Bangladeshi film director. The film was released in 2002...
(The Clay Bird)
- 2002 International Film Festival of MarrakechInternational Film Festival of MarrakechThe International Film Festival of Marrakech is an international film festival held annually in Marrakech, Morocco.-Overview:Since its inaugural year in 2000, the FIFM has been one of the biggest events devoted to Moroccan cinema...
, Golden Star - 2004 Nominated, Directors Guild of Great Britain, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Foreign Language Film
Matir Moina was also the first Bangladeshi film to compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
See also
- Artistic depictions of Bangladesh Liberation WarArtistic depictions of Bangladesh Liberation WarThere has been numerous works of art that depicted the Bangladesh Liberation War during and since the War both at Bangladesh and abroad. The concert for Bangladesh organized by members of the Beatles was a major happening in 1971 for protest music...
- Bengali cinemaBengali cinemaBengali cinema refers to the Bengali language filmmaking industries in the Bengal region of South Asia. There are two major film-making hubs in the region: one in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and the other in Dhaka, Bangladesh .The history of cinema in Bengal dates back to the 1890s, when the first...
- Cinema of BangladeshCinema of BangladeshThe Bangladeshi film industry has been based in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, since 1956. As of 2004, it produced approximately 100 movies a year, with an average movie budget of about 20,000,000 Bangladeshi taka...