Private Project

A Mandolin in Exile

Modhurchora Refugee Camp, at Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, the largest of its kind in the world, where millions of Rohingya refugees are confined. In this land of no-hope, filled with extreme despair of existential struggle, rays of hope are being ignited by a lone native musician. Mohammad (Ahmed) Hossain, the ‘Mandolin man’ refuged here along with millions of Rohingyas out of fear, threat and massacre instituted by Myanmar military force since August, 2017. Hossain is a passionate musician. He used to compose songs incorporating day-to-day reality of his people and express their hopes through his accompanying voice of Mandolin. Among the Muslim community of Rohingya, practice of music is forbidden by religion. Yet Ahmed Hossain defies the dictum and continues his journey to spread love, humanity and the community’s yearning for the lost homeland. In this land of absurdity and morose, he bits his heart audible, speaks in his own voice of descent. Hossain, despite external resistance and his own frustrations makes a dent in people’s mind with revering hopes through . As his music is becoming popular, he participates in concerts beyond the camp to spread soulful stories of stateless Rohingyas craving for home. He is among one, of the millions who feels uncertainty about their life and future. This is the story of Hossain's Exiled life as well as his Mandolin.

  • Rafiqul Anowar
    Director
    The Adventurer
  • Rafiqul Anowar
    Producer
    The Wall, Lightman
  • N. Rashed Chowdhury ( Executive Producer from LWM )
    Producer
    Swaopnojaal
  • Rafiqul Anowar
    Writer
    The Adventurer
  • Mohammad Hossain
    Key Cast
    "Hossain "
  • Rafiqul Anowar Russel
    Script
    The Adventurer, Fun, Forgotten Rebel
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    57 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Bangladesh
  • Country of Filming:
    Bangladesh
  • Language:
    Bengali
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • ‘Exposition Young Film Talents, 2019’ under Liberation War Museum.
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    April 22, 2019
    Best Project
  • Changing Face International Film Festival
    Online
    Australia
    September 1, 2020
    Australian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • The Lift-Off Sessions, Lift-Off Global Network
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 21, 2020
    Official Selection
  • First-Time Filmmaker Sessions of Lift-Off Sessions Global Network
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 30, 2020
    Official Selection
  • 19th Dhaka International Film Festival, 2021
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    January 21, 2021
    Official Selection
  • 9th International Liberation Doc fest, 2021,
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    June 10, 2021
    Official Selection
  • 3rd Bangladesh Short & Documentary Film Festival, 2021
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    June 19, 2021
    Official Selection
  • 22nd Rainbow International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    July 11, 2021
    Official Selection
  • 4th Multicultural Film Festival, Toronto-2021
    Toronto
    Canada
    September 25, 2021
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Serbest International Film Festival - 2021
    Kishinev
    Moldova, Republic of
    September 25, 2021
    East Europearn
    Official Selection
  • Festival Film Dokumenter 2021. [Perspektif]
    Yogyakarta
    Indonesia
    November 24, 2021
    Indonesian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 5th Pame International Film Festival, 2021
    Pokhara
    Nepal
    December 30, 2021
    Gandaki State, Nepal Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 16th International Short and Independent Film Festival, 2022
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    February 28, 2022
    Bangladesh Panaroma
    Official Selection
  • 11th Social Justice Film Festival 2022
    Chennai
    India
    April 15, 2022
    Indian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Liberation Doc Fest Chattogram 2022
    Chattogram
    Bangladesh
    October 13, 2022
    Chattogram Premiere
    Official Selection as Inauguration Cinema
  • Special Screening by Manipur State Film Development Society
    Imphal
    India
    February 25, 2023
    Manipur, India
    Special Screening
  • Special Screening by DRIK
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    March 18, 2023
    Special Screening
Distribution Information
  • Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh
    Distributor
    Country: Bangladesh
Director Biography - Rafiqul Anowar

Rafiqul Anowar Russell (Producer, Writer & Director)

Born in 15 October , 1978 in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Mr. Rafiqul Anowar Russell works as an independent Producer, Writer and Director in Bangladesh. He also writes film criticism and short stories. His debut film as Director was The Adventurer (2014) on liberation war of 1971 had been screened in various film festivals and sessions nationwide. It had won first prize at short film section of Liberation History and Research Festival in 2015. Mr. Rafiqul Anowar was also involved in other short films ‘Hijack’ (2008, as Director), Documentary ‘The Ancient Rebel / The life of Binod Bihari Chy’ (2008, Director),  Fun ( 2012, Director ), Haunt (2014 as Cinematographer), Time (2014 as Performer), The Wall ( 2014 as Producer), Lightman (2014 as Producer). Mr. Rafiqul Anowar Russell was a Lecturer (Guest) of Film & Media at Department of Dramatics in University of Chittagong. He joined as an observer at Docedge Kolkata in 2019 and participated with project A Mandolin in Exile at Exposition of young Film Talents, where it has been won the best project for 2019. Anowar also participated in documentary platform for co production market named Dhaka Doclab , third session and joined at Producer’s Workshop with a fiction project Swapnochari ( Traveler of Dream ) in Film Bazar that held in Goa, India.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Mohammad (Ahmed) Hossain was found miraculously on a random stormy day of 2018; while the weeping tune of his Mandolin was overshadowing the roaring thunder and the cries of the children, he was playing his music for. It was surprising to find a musician coming from an education-less, identity-less but religiously conservative People of the Rohingya community, who do not usually hail music, literature, and culture in their own society in the Arakan State of Myanmar. Rohingya people are mostly Muslims and they believe - practicing arts like singing, dancing are restricted and forbidden in Islam. Thus, Mandolin playing is not very common in Rohingya people. In our conversation, Hossain said with a happy smile that all his suffering was meaningless as compared to the joy his music rendered to him. For fifteen years now, he has been singing and knowing not how to read and write. He has to memorize all his songs and tunes. Ahmed tells, he bought the Mandolin from the market of Maungdaw township for 50,000 Kyet (35 USD). It proves to be an expensive deal for him as he suffered greatly later due to lack of money. He has being chased by the Myanmar secret Police the very day he bought it.

He thanks through songs to the Bangladesh people and Sheikh Hasina (Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh), for giving shelter and saving them from genocide and mass killing. Hossain feels, the people are safe here and getting all facilities as human beings but it is not called living in the homeland. They are in exile as his Mandolin is also in exile. Maybe the children have no memory of their own place but the elder is crying inside each night. That's why he sings to the young to feel his people and homeland.

So, I believe Hossain and his story of exiled Mandolin should be exposed to the world, as how he can finally manage to achieve his dream. One, who experienced Genocide and mass killing of his own people, how he will resurrect them with hope and enlightenment through music. He dreams - one day his people will be rich by culture, will listen and sing music like him. The tune of the thousand instrument like his Mandolin will break the silence of his homeland sky. The suffering of his exiled Mandolin and People will be ended.

I like to thank all who supported, encouraged, and keep faith in me regarding the story of A Mandolin in Exile.