Private Project

Memories of Gloomy Monsoons

After marrying Putul and bringing her home, Fazlu finds his wife amidst loneliness therefore he brings in a third member- a cow. With this newfound companion, Putul starts to settle in her new place.

However, Teesta River’s dams caused the lower region to be affected by drought, this brings struggle in the lives of farmers like Fazlu. The dams gatekeep all the water until the overflow in monsoon. As a result, they open the gates causing floods, bringing misery to the livelihood of everyone inhabiting the lower region. Due to such hostile behaviour of the river, Fazlu’s family is no longer content.

  • Khandaker Sumon
    Director
  • Khandaker Sumon
    Writer
  • Aynun Putul
    Key Cast
    "Putul"
  • Fazlul Haque
    Key Cast
    "Fazlu"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Saatao
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 36 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 14, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    Bangladesh
  • Country of Filming:
    Bangladesh
  • Language:
    Bengali
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Khandaker Sumon

Khandaker Sumon is a Bangladeshi filmmaker . He was born on 2nd February 1982 in the district of Gaibandha. To produce dramas and films he has been leading a production house named "Idea Exchange" for a long time. A few ad films had been made from this organization on social awareness.

To become a filmmaker he completed course from " Bangladesh Film Institute (BFI)". The institute is led by the eminent filmmaker Tanvir Mokammel.

Film “Saatao” (2022) is the debut feature film of Khandaker Sumon.

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Director Statement

The film Saatao (Memories of Gloomy Monsoons) is an attempt to portray the lives of marginalized people. I have spent hours of my childhood on the bank of the Teesta River where I was born.

From early years to my youth, my life circled around that river. During my adolescence, the river was the companion of my thoughts, worries and concerns. Naturally, I have been able to witness the river and the lives surrounding it very closely. I have also noticed an influence of music in all their activities. They express and process concepts such as life, death, feelings, emotions and experiences through music and spend their leisure walking on their garden of melodies. Often their songs are about advice, commands, love, heartbreak or reminiscing past events.

Presently, most of the rivers of Bangladesh have dried up and mankind is to be blamed more than nature. The river close to my childhood has not been spared either. The farmers do not get water when they need it the most during summer. While there is an abundance of water in the rain, the barricades are released. The irregularity of the water in the rivers affects their navigability. During rain, when the water is released, the rapid currents hit the banks of the river. The mighty waves devour the lands and riverine and leave them stranded. The water then turns into a flood. When the water moves away, the broken land is all that is left. This is how, gradually, the rivers are losing their navigability and gaining breadth. It affects all the lives on the shores of both people and animal. The villages of my childhood are turning into barren deserts. The farmers are quitting on farming and running towards the cities. They are getting engaged in many risky jobs in factories to earn their livelihood and often losing their lives in unfortunate accidents. A bulk of the happy, prosperous village has gone underwater and the rest of it taken by graves.

‘Saatao’ (Memories of Gloomy Monsoons) is not just a film to me. It is my heartfelt precipitation that I wish everyone could feel the way I do.