When Bangla came out in 2019, many Italians discovered for the first time the everyday life of Bangladeshi youngsters born and raised in Rome. The film was written, directed and acted by Phaim Bhuiyan, born in Rome in 1995 to a Bangladeshi family and raised in Tor Pignattara.
The story
Bangla is a romantic comedy about a young Muslim Italian-Bangladeshi who plays in a traditional music band and falls for Asia, a Roman girl. Behind the laughs are the themes of a whole generation: family, religion, love, and feeling Italian and Bangladeshi at the same time.
Before cinema, Phaim helped his father — who had worked as a flower seller, paperboy, dishwasher and baker before getting his own stall — and used his earnings to buy his first camera.
Recognition
In 2020 Bhuiyan won the David di Donatello for Best Debut Director; the film also won the Globo d’oro for best first feature and the Nastro d’argento for best comedy. In 2022 came Bangla – The Series, eight episodes taking audiences back to the streets of Tor Pignattara.
Why it matters
“I hope this movie will spark interest in the life of the Bangladeshi community and the second generations here in Rome,” he said when the film came out. For many Bangladeshi youngsters in Italy, seeing themselves portrayed with humour and without stereotypes was a turning point.
