Private Project

BEYOND ALL THE COLOURS

Logline: A filmmaker with Bangladeshi/ South Asian roots makes a film about his daughter who identifies herself as a queer femme person of colour. A film that celebrates art, acceptance and father-daughter bond.

Short Synopsis: As a daughter self-discloses her sexual identity to her family, the filmmaker father with roots in a formerly colonized, fairly conservative and collectivist society of Bangladesh, decides to embark on a journey with his camera on a quest to understand his daughter, her art and her life. Beyond all the colours is a joint celebration of art, life and passion between a father and a daughter. The film aims to document the hurdles and joys of discovering each other as a father and a daughter while they traverse the complicated subject of sexual identity and gender politics.

Plot Outline: A set of South Asian parents who immigrated to Canada from Bangladesh, send their daughter to a French medium school and to an English medium university hoping that one day she will have a life of comfort, integrating easily into the society during her adulthood.

The daughter, Munea Wadud is now 25 years old with a bachelor’s degree in communication working at a local organization helping children in ….. from non- privileged backgrounds. She struggles to tell her parents about her identity as a queer femme person. Munea, who is also a self-taught visual artist, often dabbles with her identity in her artwork.

Her Bangladesh born Canadian parents don’t know how to deal with it socially and culturally. Then one day, while helping Munea prepare for an art exhibit, her filmmaker father asks her if he can film her during her shows and follow her in her journey as an artist. She agrees.

  • Saiful Wadud Helal
    Director
  • Munea Wadud, Saiful Wadud Helal
    Writer
  • Rosina Kazi, NIcholas Murray (Band LAL)
    Music
  • Saiful Wadud Helal, Munir Hossain, Shafiul Wadud
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    60 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Bangladesh, Canada
  • Language:
    Bengali, English, French
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm, Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Winner City of Ottawa Grant for Creation and Production 2019

    Winner Production Grant 2019
  • Winner City of Ottawa Grant for Post Production 2021

    Winner Post production Grant 2021
Director Biography - Saiful Wadud Helal

Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saiful Wadud Helal began his career as a TV program producer in early 2000s. He took up the mode of documentary filmmaking in 2005 with Colour of Faith which had its premier at Montreal World Film Festival that year. His 2011 film Aparajeyo Bangla is a multi-layered narrative on an iconic cultural symbol of Bangladesh (a sculpture at the University of Dhaka premises depicting the Liberation War of Bangladesh). The film went on to win the Best film award at the International Liberation and Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Dhaka 2012. His last film, Jholmolia – The Sacred Water (2016) is a unique visual journey through an ethnicity full of life and vigor. The film won the Best Documentary Film award at the International Short and Independent Film Festival, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2016. He is currently working on a project titled Beyond All The Colours. The film is about his relationship with his daughter who identifies herself as a queer femme person of color.

Saiful Wadud is also a visiting instructor at Bangladesh Cinema and Television Institute (BCTI).

Filmography: Color of Faith (2005), Anika’s Home (2009), Cinemania (2010), Aparajeyo Bangla (2011), Bangladesh's Ridoy (2013). Jholmolia - The Sacred Water (2016), Beyond All The Colours (work in progress).

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Director Statement

This is a documentary which explores the unique relationship between a filmmaker father and his artist daughter as they traverse the complicated subject of sexual identity and gender politics.. There is a history of homophobia within the South Asian diaspora community in Canada. However, there are a few stories of hope, of families coming together despite their differences and understanding each other. I feel that even though this is not a reality for every single family, it is important to talk about that kind of acceptance and love. And, by talking about this acceptance, it helps my daughter and me to hope for a more tolerant and inclusive future where people are more open with each other.