Jobanbondi ( Testimony )

CHANDANA is a garments worker and central character of the JOBANBODI experimental short film. The Bengali word ‘Jobanbondi’ refers to ‘testimony or statement’ of a person and group. In the film, Chandana, as a representative of unprivileged garments workers, says the stories of working class women. The story highlights the rights, views and realities of the marginalized, less-educated and simple minded girls who generally come from rural area.

CHANDANA says her story with deep, heart-touching words which generally she can not say openly in the society for their socio-economic position. To express the voice of voiceless and social status, the character does not speak. She just goes on with her acting in salient mode like a ‘Dumb’. CHANDANA says about the exploitation, injustice, maltreatment, lifestyle, love, desire and hope for good life of garments workers who come in the city with a view to leading a poverty-free life.

Monochromic black and white visuals have been used in the short film to express the common reality by overcoming the ‘time and space’. The dark ash background of the film symbolizes the unwanted sorrowful reality. In the film only one-time color visual has been used to express the dream of the girl to wear own made dress, which they never can do but should. The modest dull background music expresses the poverty-stricken life, helpless crude reality, simple mind of the character and inner language of the story.

The storytelling in the JOBANBONDI has been used with an experimental style by mixing the aspects of traditional narrative documentary and feature film. The audience may get chance to discover the inner message of the film in own way more deeply.