Private Project

The Unsung.

(*** Subtitles available in English / Spanish / French / Portuguese/ Hindi/ Russian/German/ Italian. Please click on the CC button below to show the subtitle in multiple languages at the time of previewing the online screener)

A war can change everything and many incidents and stories remain unsung. During the Liberation War of Bangladesh of 1971, the guerrilla resistance movement formed by the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary and civilians called The Mukti Bahini, translates as Freedom Fighters. During the nine-month-long Bangladesh war for independence, members of the Pakistani military and their supporting local collaborators killed up to 3,000,000 people and raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women. In 16 December 1971, The Pakistan Army surrenders to the Joint Force, Freedom Fighters and Indian Armed Forces, ending the Bangladesh Liberation War. BABLU, like other civilians joins the guerrilla movement against them. He starts gossiping about a chicken-livered teacher HARU, but discovers Haru as the mission commander, who becomes the bravest warrior at this war.

Festival Screening till date:
1) Festival De Cannes
Cannes
France
May 19, 2019
Court Métrage
Short Film Corner

2) Best of India Short Film Festival
Santa Monica, CA
United States
Finalist

3) Inshort Film Festival Lagos
Nigeria
December 20, 2018
African Premiere
Finalist

4) Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF)
Mumbai
India
February 20, 2019
Official Selection

5) Golden Triangle International Film Festival (GTIFF)
Bhubaneswar, Odisha
India
February 10, 2019
Indian Premiere
Official Selection

6) International Film Festival of Medellín (FestMedallo)
Medellin
Colombia
February 16, 2019
Finalist

7) The International Film Festival of MP (IFFMP)
Indore
India
February 21, 2019
Indian Premiere
Finalist

8) Safe Community International Short Film Festival
Khorasan Razavi
Iran, Islamic Republic of
March 5, 2019
Official Selection

9) Shahu International Short Film Festival
Pune
India
April 5, 2019
Finalist

10) XXI International Festival of Detective Films and Television programs on Law-Enforcement Themes "DetectiveFEST"
Moscow
Russian Federation
April 24, 2019
Finalist

11) <ОКНО>WINDOW International Short Film Festival
Omsk
Russian Federation
April 25, 2019
Official Selection

12) Music Shorts Film Festival
Montana
United States
May 14, 2019

13) PAB short film festival
London
United Kingdom
June 21, 2019
Finalist

14) 17th Ischia Film Festival
Ischia
Italy
July 1, 2019
Finalist

15) 20th Rainbow International Film Festival
London
United Kingdom
July 21, 2019
Official Selection

16) Wular Lake International Short-Film Festival
Kashmir
India
August 26, 2019
Finalist

17) Karnavati International Film Festival (KAIFF)
Gujrat
India
November 9, 2019

  • Md Ashraful Alam (Ashraf Shishir)
    Director
    The Cart, The Inner Sound
  • Md Ashraful Alam (Ashraf Shishir)
    Writer
    The Cart, The Inner Sound
  • Md Ashraful Alam (Ashraf Shishir)
    Producer
    The Cart, The Inner Sound
  • Arannya Rana
    Key Cast
  • Imran
    Key Cast
    The Cart, The Inner Sound
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Judhdhata Chilo Shadhinotar ( যুদ্ধটা ছিল স্বাধীনতার )
  • Project Type:
    Feature, Short, Television, Web / New Media, Other
  • Runtime:
    47 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 15, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    Bangladesh
  • Country of Filming:
    Bangladesh
  • Language:
    Bengali
  • Shooting Format:
    HD 2K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Festival De Cannes
    Cannes
    France
    May 19, 2019
    Court Métrage (Short Film Corner)
  • Best of India Short Film Festival
    Santa Monica, CA
    United States
    World Premiere
    Finalist
  • Inshort Film Festival
    Lagos
    Nigeria
    December 20, 2018
    African Premiere
    Finalist
  • The International Film Festival of MP (IFFMP)
    Indore
    India
    February 21, 2019
    Indian Premiere
    Finalist
  • Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF)
    Mumbai
    India
    February 20, 2019
    Official Selection
  • The Lift-Off Sessions
    Pinewood Studios SL0 0HN
    United Kingdom
    March 17, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Safe Community International Short Film Festival
    Khorasan Razavi
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    March 5, 2019
    Official Selection
  • XXI International Festival of Detective Films and Television programs on Law-Enforcement Themes "DetectiveFEST"
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    April 24, 2019
    Finalist
  • Shahu International Short Film Festival
    Pune
    India
    April 5, 2019
    Official Selection
  • <ОКНО>WINDOW International Short Film Festival
    Omsk
    Russian Federation
    April 25, 2019
    Official Selection
  • PAB short film festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    May 21, 2019
    Finalist
  • International Film Festival of Medellín (FestMedallo)
    Medellin
    Colombia
    February 16, 2019
    Official Selection
  • 20th Rainbow International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    July 21, 2019
    Official Selection
  • 17th Ischia Film Festival
    Ischia
    Italy
    July 1, 2019
    Finalist
  • 20th Rainbow International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    July 21, 2019
  • Wular Lake International Short-Film Festival
    Kashmir
    India
    August 26, 2019
  • Karnavati International Film Festival (KAIFF)
    Gujrat
    India
    November 9, 2019
Director Biography - Md Ashraful Alam (Ashraf Shishir)

Md Ashraful Alam, whose penname/nickname is Ashraf Shishir, is a National Award Winning Independent Motion Pictures and Film Professional, Script Writer, Poet, Story Writer, Human Rights Activists from Bangladesh. Educated in IT and law, he is the pioneer of the AECB film movement, a platform for the filmmakers to establish alternative show-case for better cinema with more than 20,000 members. He is the founder and festival director of International Open Film Festival (IOFF). He is the jury of several international film festivals like Houston Cinemania Film Festival (Texas, USA),Red Rock Film Festival(Utah, USA), Widescreen Film & Music Festival (Florida, USA), Walur Lake International Film Festival (Kashmir, India). Published four books on literature and film.

Filmography of the Director:

Ashraf Shishir`s debut work includes feature THE CART [Gaariwala] 2015 (Script and direction, Recipient of prestigious Grant from the Govt. of Bangladesh and selected in more than 100 International Film Festivals in 31 Countries and won 26 International Awards from India, Chile, Italy, Spain and USA and the National Film Award), His 3rd feature film titled THE INNOCENCE [Amra Ekta Cinema Banabo] which is one of the longest fiction feature film (21 hours long) in the world film history is already in post-production stage and 2nd feature film titled THE INNER SOUND [Gopon] (Script and direction, Recipient of prestigious International Awards from Russia and India and selected in more than 17 International Film Festivals in 13 Countries till date) is awaiting for it`s worldwide release in December 2018. Featurate (Mid-length Feature) fiction film titled THE UNSUNG [Judhdhata Chilo Shadhinotar], Short film titled THE F.I.F.O and feature film titled THE UNPARALLELED [Adwaita] is in work-in-progress stage. Documentary film titled THE CAGE BIRD 2012 has been screened in 16 International Film Festivals in 12 countries and won 1 award from USA. He created few television commercials and music videos too. A social advertisement directed by him was nominated as the finalist in an event organized by the United Nations Office, Geneva, Switzerland in 2018. Ashraf also directed 3 music videos of a musical band named “Shironamhin” which ranked year-long as top ranker in Bangladesh and have millions of views on youtube. He is the writer and producer of the feature film titled THE LOANEE which is now work-in-progress stage. Ashraf worked as one of the scriptwriters and directors (5 episodes, 2 seasons) of THE A BILLION TO ONE (2017-18), an international TV & web-series produced by CollabFeature, an award-winning USA-based company, record breaking team of filmmakers & creators from all over the world.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This is a film based on a true story. The genocide in Bangladesh began on 26 March 1971 with the launch of Operation Searchlight, as West Pakistan began a military crackdown on the Eastern wing of the nation to suppress Bengali calls for self-determination rights.
Hardinge Bridge was severely damaged during the Liberation War of Bangladesh of 1971. It happened on 13 December 1971, when the Indian Air Force plane bombed on the 4th guarder from the Paksey side. As the Pakistani army was on retreat towards Jessore (their last stronghold) Hardinge Bridge was strategically very important. The allied force damaged the bridge. Pakistan army regiments became detached from one another. They have no way to flee back to Dhaka. The allied force officials take steps and asked the Pakistan army to surrender.
The Mukti Bahini, translates as Freedom Fighters, or Liberation Forces, is a popular Bengali term which refers to the guerrilla resistance movement formed by the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary and civilians during the War of Liberation in 1971.
During the nine-month-long Bangladesh war for independence, members of the Pakistani military and their supporting local collaborators killed up to 3,000,000 people and raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women.
In 16 December 1971, The Pakistan Army surrenders to the Joint Force, i.e. Mukti Bahini (Freedom Force) and Indian Armed Forces, ending the Bangladesh Liberation War.