Tareque Masud

Tareque Masud (6 December 1956 – 13 August 2011) was a Bangladeshi independent film director, film producer, screenwriter and lyricist.[1] He first found success with the films Muktir Gaan (1995) and Matir Moina (2002), for which he won three international awards, including the International Critics' FIPRESCI Prize, in the Directors' Fortnight section outside competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.[2] The film became Bangladesh's first film to compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Tareque Al Masud
তারেক মাসুদ
Masud in Sylhet, December 2010
Born
Tarequer Masud

(1956-12-06)6 December 1956
Bhanga, Faridpur, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Died13 August 2011(2011-08-13) (aged 54)
Ghior Upazila, Manikganj, Bangladesh
Cause of deathRoad accident
Resting placeNurpur, Bhanga, Faridpur
MonumentsThe Wreckage Microbus of Mishuk Munier and Tareque Masud
NationalityBangladeshi
Other namesCinema Feriwalla
EducationMA
Alma materUniversity of Dhaka
Occupation
  • Film director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
  • lyricist
Years active1995–2011
Known forMatir Moina
Notable work
Home townBhanga, Faridpur
Spouse(s)Catherine Masud
Children1
AwardsEkushey Padak (2012)
Websitetarequemasud.org
Signature

Masud died in a road accident on 13 August 2011 while returning to Dhaka from Manikganj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway after visiting a filming location.[3] Masud was working on Kagojer Phool (The Paper Flower).[4][5]

In 2012, he posthumously received Ekushey Padak, the highest civilian award of Bangladesh.[6] In 2013, New York University Asian/Pacific/American Institute, and South Asia Solidarity Initiative, hosted the first North American retrospective of his films.[7]

Background

Masud was born on 6 December 1956 in Nurpur village, Bhanga Upazila, Faridpur District, East Pakistan.[8] He grew up in Nurpur village and started his education in an Islamic school (madrasah). He studied in the madrassa system for eight years, until the upheaval brought about by the 9-month Liberation War interrupted his education in 1971. After the war, he entered general education, completing his HSC from Notre Dame College and completed his master's degree in History from the University of Dhaka.[9][10][11]

Tareque was involved in the film society movement from his university days and started his first film, Adam Surat (The Inner Strength), a documentary on the Bangladeshi painter SM Sultan, in 1982. His 1995 feature-length documentary on the 1971 Liberation War, Muktir Gaan (Song of Freedom), brought record audiences and became a cult classic. He also made many other films on the war, including Muktir Kotha (Words of Freedom, 1999), Narir Kotha (Women and War, 2000) and Naroshundor (The Barbershop, 2009). In 2002, he completed his feature film Matir Moina (The Clay Bird), which was based on his childhood experience in the madrassa.

As a part of his filmmaking work, he was a pioneer of the independent film movement in Bangladesh. In 1986, Tareque was a founding member of Bangladesh Short Film Forum, the leading platform for independent filmmakers in Bangladesh. In 1988, he organized the country's first International Short and Documentary Film Festival, which is held on a biannual basis to this day. He was also known as the "Cinema Feriwalla" for the way in which he showed his films, touring remote towns and villages throughout the country with his mobile projection unit.[12]

His wife, an American-born film editor Catherine Masud, was his creative partner. They met at the time he was completing work on Adam Surat and spent the next two decades making films together through their production house Audiovision. Together they wrote scripts, often co-directed, and toured the country and the world with their films. Catherine also edited all of their work.[12]

Early career
From left; Masud, Bashar and right Murshed (Moviyana film Society Member) at the show of Runway in Sylhet

Masud's first film was the documentary Adam Surat (Inner Strength) on the Bangladeshi painter SM Sultan which he completed in 1989. His most famous film in the early age of his career was the documentary Muktir Gaan (The Song of Freedom, 1995) where the camera follows a music troupe during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.[13] The members of the troupe sing songs to inspire freedom fighters.

His first full-length feature film, Matir Moina ("The Clay Bird", 2002) which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, derives inspiration from his own childhood experiences. He won the International Critic's Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 for this film,[2] as well as the FIPRESCI Prize for Directors' Fortnight for "its authentic, moving and delicate portrayal of a country struggling for its democratic rights."[14] Matir Moina was received with critical praise and toured the international circuit. It was one of the first Bangladeshi films to be widely circulated and was greeted with enthusiasm for its realistic depiction of life without the melodrama that is prevalent in many other South Asian films.

His film, Ontarjatra ("Homeland", 2006), featured two generations of Bangladeshi diaspora in London and their return to Bangladesh. His next feature film, Runway (2010) was about the influence of radical religious teachings on a young boy, caught between many modernistic. Masud's last unfinished project was Kagojer Phool ("The Paper Flower"), about the partition of the Indian subcontinent. This film has become a prequel to Matir Moina (2002).

Personal life

Masud and Catherine Shapere have a son, Nishad Bingham Putra Masud.[15]

Death
The Wreckage Microbus of Mishuk Munier and Tareque Masud is preserved at University of Dhaka Campus.

On 13 August 2011, Masud died in a road accident at Joka under Ghior Upazila while returning to Dhaka from Manikganj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway after visiting a shooting location.[16] His microbus collided head-on with an oncoming passenger bus.[3] He along with the other passengers were travelling to choose shooting locations for his new film Kagojer Phool (The Paper Flower), filming of which was supposed to begin after shooting locations were elected.[4]

Masud was travelling with long-time co-worker Mishuk Munier, a cinematographer, a journalist and CEO of ATN News. Munier also died in the accident.[16]

Masud's wife, Catherine, along with four others, survived the accident. Since his death, Catherine has established the Tareque Masud Memorial Trust, which is dedicated to the task of archiving and memorializing Masud's work through publications, educational projects, screening programs, and the completion of their unfinished works.[12]

Legend

On 6 December 2018, a Google Doodle was displayed on Google Bangladesh page to celebrate his 62nd birthday.[17]

Awards

Masud was received many international and national awards for his notable works. He received Best Film Award from Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards in 1996 and a Special Jury Prize from Festival of South Asian Documentaries in 1997 and a National Award for Documentary film Muktir Gaan.

He received an International Critics' FIPRESCI Prize, in the Directors' Fortnight section outside competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.[2] Best Screenplay Award from International Film Festival of Marrakech in 2002. Best Film Award from Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, Kara Film Festival and Channel I Film Awards in 2003 from the film Matir Moina (2002).

After Masud received Jury Prize from International Video Festival of India in 2003, Best Direction award from International Film Festival Bangladesh in 2006, Special Jury Award, Osian's Cinefan Festival Delhi in 2006, Meril Prothom Alo Awards in 2010 etc.

In 2012, he received Ekushey Padak, the highest civilian award of Bangladesh posthumously.[6] In 2013, New York University Asian/Pacific/American Institute, and South Asia Solidarity Initiative, hosted the first North American retrospective of his films.[7]

Frequent collaborators

Masud has frequently cast the same actors more than once in films that he has directed.

Recurring themes

Masud's films have recurring themes with subtexts. These include the religious conflicts between humanity and society, strong female characters, and a strong patriot movement.

Filmography
Year Title Credited as Notes Ref(s)
Director Writer Producer Other
1985Shonar BeriYesYesNoNoDocumentary film
1989Adam SuratYesNoYesNoBiogralhical documentary on SM Sultan
1992UnisonYesYesNoNoAnimated documentary film
1993SheyYesYesNoNoDocumentary film
Co-directed by Shameem Akhter
1995Muktir GaanYesNoNoNoDocumentary film
footage filmed by Lear Levin
1997Shishu KanthaYesYesNoNoDocumentary film
1999Nirapotter NameyYesYesNoNoDocumentary film
1999Muktir KothaYesNoNoNoDocumentary film
2000Narir KothaYesYesYesNoDocumentary film
2002Matir MoinaYesYesNoNoCo-written with Catherine Masud
2002A Kind of ChildhoodYesYesNoNoDocumentary film
Co-directed with Catherine Masud
2006OntarjatraYesYesNoNoCo-directed with Catherine Masud
2008Kansater PothayYesYesNoNoDocumentary film
Co-directed with Catherine Masud
2009NoroshundorYesYesNoNoCo-directed with Catherine Masud
2010RunwayYesYesNoYesMusic director
Co-directed with Catherine Masud
TBAKagojer PhulNoYesNoNoan unfinished feature
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gollark: Colab? Various cloud providers?
gollark: That's what they want you to think, of course.

See also

References
  1. Punny Kabir (13 August 2012). "Revealing Tareque Masud as a lyricist". New Age. Archived from the original on 22 December 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  2. Official Tareque Masud website
  3. "Crash victims' bodies arrive, probe begins | Bangladesh". bdnews24.com. 13 August 2011. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  4. তারেক মাসুদ ও মিশুক মুনীরসহ নিহত ৫ (in Bengali). Prothom-alo.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  5. সড়ক দুর্ঘটনায় মারা গেছেন তারেক মাসুদ, মিশুক মুনীরসহ ৫ জন (in Bengali). Banglanews24.com. 13 August 2011. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  6. "15 personalities receive Ekushey Padak bdnews24.com". Ns.bdnews24.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  7. "Tareque Masud Journey Interrupted". NYU. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  8. "Catherine Masud – Celebrating Her Cinema Feriwala's 57th Birthday". The Daily Star. 7 December 2013.
  9. "Tareque Masud's 61th birthday today". Jago News 24. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  10. "Death anniversary of Tareque, Mishuk today". Dhaka Tribune. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  11. একনজরে তারেক মাসুদ. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  12. "About: Bio". The Official Website of Tareque Masud. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  13. Naeem Mohaiemen (2011). "An end to revisionist history?". Himal. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  14. Jamie Russell (3 July 2003). "The Clay Bird (Matir Moina) (2003)". BBC. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  15. Ahammed, Rakib (14 August 2011). "Fate puts a full stop". The Daily Star. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  16. "In memory of Tareque Masud and Mishuk Munier". The Daily Star. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  17. "Tareque Masud's 62nd Birthday". google.com. 6 December 2018.
  18. "FIPRESCI Awards 2002". ipresci.org. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  19. "Marrakech International Film Festival Awards 2002". Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  20. "Awards & Recognitions". tarequemasud.org. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  21. "Marrakech, Morocco". ctmasud.site.aplus.net. 22 September 2002. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  22. Ziad, Abdullah (2010). বাংলাদেশের চলচ্চিত্র : পাঁচ দশকের ইতিহাস [Film in Bangladesh: A History of Five Decades] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Jyoti Prakash.
  23. তারেক মাসুদ: জীবন ও কর্ম. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 13 August 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  24. Karlekar, Malavika (5 February 2006). "Soulful story of loss: The acclaimed film Matir Moina (The Clay Bird), which was banned in Bangladesh (for a few months), is now available on DVD". The Tribune (India). Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  25. জাতীয় চলচ্চিত্র পুরস্কার প্রাপ্তদের নামের তালিকা (১৯৭৫-২০১২) (in Bengali). Bangladesh Film Development Corporation. p. 16. Archived from the original (pdf) on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  26. "Press Conference Statement". ctmasud.site.aplus.net. 4 November 2002. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2020.

Further reading

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