Book talks of evolution of nationalism and birth of Bangladesh

A new book by veteran Australian writer John W Hood on meaningful cinema in Bangladesh deals with the country's Liberation War and how it has shaped the notion of nationhood in that country.
"The Bleeding Lotus: Notions of Nation in Bangladeshi Cinema" traces the evolution of nationalism leading to the emergence of Bangladesh and discusses in great detail the works - feature and documentary films - of all top directors of meaningful cinema of the country like Morshedul Islam, Chasi Nazrul Islam, Tanvir Mokammel, Shameem Akhtar, Tareque Masud, Humayun Ahmed, Kowser Choudhury, Sajjad Bokul, A Sajib Ashiq and Toquir Ahmed.

Many of the works of Bangladeshi directors have been shown in international film festivals across the world, with a few them winning awards.
Overcoming the problems funds in making technically high quality films and often struggling lack of screening outlets, these directors have nonetheless stuck to the mission of making the world take note of meaningful cinema in Bangladesh.
The 200-odd page book, published by New Delhi-based Palimpsest, is set to be launched will be launched in Dhaka tomorrow.
Acclaimed director Buddhadeb Dasgupta has written a blurb for the book underlining the importance of cinema in Bangladesh.
"The cinema of Bangladesh is not as well known as it deserves to be outside of its own country," he says in the opening sentence.

"Hood has done Bangladesh and its filmmakers a great service in giving us this very original work interpreting the story of a nation's birth as told through cinema," Dasgupta writes, adding that "The Bleeding Lotus" is an important contribution to cinema studies as well as to an appreciation of the agonies endured by a nation not even half a century old.