Bangladeshi film ‘Nishi’ selected for Montenegro film festival

Bangladeshi feature film “Nishi” has been selected for the main competition section of the 12th Green Montenegro International Film Festival, a specialised global platform for environmental cinema.

The festival, regarded as one of the prominent eco-film showcases worldwide, is the only environmental film festival in Montenegro. This year’s edition will take place from August 1 to 3 at Durmitor National Park in Žabljak, a UNESCO World Heritage site located beside the Black Lake.

“Nishi” is noted as a significant Bangladeshi independent production that continues its international journey with this selection in a competitive global lineup.

The film is written and co-directed by Golam Rabbani, with Mohammad Zahirul Islam (Kochi). It is produced under the International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM), with collaboration from the European Union, Bangladesh, Green Film School Alliance and UNESCO Dhaka.

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Golam Rabbani described the selection as an important milestone for the project. “Nishi’s international journey is deeply meaningful. Through cinema, we are able to take our stories to global audiences and also learn from other filmmaking traditions, which strengthens our own practice,” he said.

He added, “I am grateful to my film school, IAFM, for believing in this project.”

The narrative of “Nishi” centres on a tea worker’s daughter whose education is interrupted due to a severe water crisis. A timber trader, Lalchan, attempts to exploit the situation by offering a tube well in exchange for marriage to the minor girl, forming a story that reflects environmental strain and social vulnerability.

Post-production work, including final editing, colour grading and sound design, was completed at the Łódź Film School in Poland. Natalia Puśnik, a former student of the institution, handled cinematography.

The film was shot in tea gardens in Sylhet and surrounding areas, featuring local tea workers including Vishwajit, Ganesh and Bharati in key roles.