CONTEMPORARY Asian Film Festival organised by Zahir Raihan Film Society has a rich diet for the city's cine literate. The society, now enjoying its 15th year in the film society movement, has already held an impressive screening of great Asian masters like Majid Majidi, Tony Bui, Chen Kaige in the on going festival. On the concluding day, today, of the five-day extravaganza of Asian cinema two films by the celebrated Taiwanese film-maker Ang Lee will be shown. The screening includes the Crouching Tiger, winner of four Academy Awards this year, and Hidden Dragon.

Ever since its inception in 1986, the society has been playing a pioneering role in collecting and organizing the screening of good movies for Dhaka's cinema lovers. Today the society boasts of an impressive collection of over 1000 films by the pre-eminent film-makers of the world and in the past fifteen years has held over 1500 screenings to further the cause of country's film society movement. The society has also held retrospectives on almost all major filmmakers of the world to remain true to its commitment to inculcate taste for healthy films.

Sabbir Chowdhury, General Secretary of the society, thinks that the lack of dedicated film society activists is what is failing us to create a healthy film environment in the country. Regular screening of good films can possibly create an enabling environment for new and talented filmmakers to grow. It's the responsibility of the government, he says, to procure good films and distribute them to the different film societies of the country. The Bangladesh Film archive also does not play its due role, he says. What the few film societies have been doing, have been doing entirely on their private initiatives, limited because of a wide range of factors. However they are trying their best, he says.

Thanks to the society's untiring effort in presenting leading film-makers of world cinema Dhaka's connoisseurs of good cinema having a wonderful time watching some of the great directors of contemporary Asian cinema.

A full list of the movies screened in the Asian Festival in the past few days is as follows Children of Heaven by Majid Majidi of Iran, Three Seasons by Toby Bui of Vietnam, To the Starry Island by Park Kwang-Su of South Korea, Life on a string by Chen Kaige of China, The Horse by Ali Osgenturk of Turkey, West Beirut by Ziad Douveri of Lebanon, Chungkink Express by Wong Kar Wai of Hong Kong, Nang-Nak by Nonsee Nimibutr of Thailand, Perfumed Nightmare by Kildat Tahmik of the Philippines, Gaja Gamini by Makbul Fida Hussein of India and Rhapsody in August by Akira Kurosawa of Japan, Chitra Nadir Parey by Tanvir Mokammel and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Ang Lee of Taiwan

The protagonist of the film Crouching Tiger Li Mu Bai is handsome and powerful and considered one of the greatest martial artists of his time, arrives at Yuan Security Compound, run by his long time friend Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh). The romantic sparks and history between the two are immediately evident. Li asks Shu Lien, who is on her way to Beijing, to give his sword (the legendary Green Destiny) to Sir Te (Lung Sihung), a respected leader who was a friend of Shu Lien's father. The film has won 4 Academy awards (Oscar Prizes) this year. It was also awarded prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

The movies are being screened in collaboration with the Goethe Institute at road number 9 in Dhanmondi.

And that is not the end of the treat for film-lovers there are more to come from Zahir Raihan Film Society as it joins hands with the Indian High Commission again on April 27 presenting a retrospective on the greatest filmmaker of the subcontinent Sayajit Ray. April is after all the month that marks the 80th birth and 9th death anniversary of the great filmmaker.

The films to be screened at the retrospective at the auditorium of the Indian High Commission at house no 25 of Dhanmondi road no 2.

The schedule of the films to be shown is as follows:

Friday, April 27
Apur Sangsar (3.30pm), Parash Pathar (6.00pm)

Saturday, April 28
Jalshaghar (3.30pm), Teen Kanya (6.00pm)

Wednesday, May 2
Gharey Bairey (5.00pm)

Friday, May4, 2001
Kanchanjungha (3.30pm), Charulata (6.0pm)

Saturday, May 5, 2001
Nayak (3.30pm), Arqnyer Dinratri (6.00pm)

Friday, May 11
Mahanagar (3.30pm), Pratidwandi (6.00pm)

Saturday, May12
Shimabaddha (3.30pm), Jana Aranya (6.00pm)

Friday, May 18
Goopy Gayeen Bagha Bayeen (3.30pm), Hirak Rajar Deshe (6.00pm)

Saturday, May 19
Sonar Kella (3.30pm), Joi Baba Felunath (6.00pm)

Friday, May 25
Shatranj ke Khilari (3.30pm), Ganashatru (6.00pm)

Saturday, May 26
Shakha Prashakha (3.30pm) and Aguntak (6.00pm)

Satyajit's celebrated Apu trilogy centers on Apu and the retrospective opens with Apur Sansar. In the film Apu lives in a rented room on the terrace of a crowded house in Calcutta, right next to a busy railway yard. Having passed his Intermediate examination, and unable to afford further studies, he finds himself part of a growing population of the unemployed in this great city. He wants to write a great novel, a magnum opus that will make him famous one day. His friend, Pulu, a young engineer, snatches Apu out of the peaceful confines of his existence, and takes him away to Khulna, in East Bengal, to attend a wedding in the family. Here accidentally Apu gets married to Aparna, the daughter of a landed family. After many years, he finds himself bound by love, and willingly so. The rented room is transformed into a home, and a stranger becomes an inseparable part of Apu's life. Aparna goes to her parents' home before the autumn festivals, to have her baby. The child is born but Aparna dies during labour. The world shatters around Apu. He refuses to have anything to do with the child finally goes in search of his son who now refuses to accept him as his father. But Apu does not give up easily. With renewed interest and hope, he wins over the little boy, and carries him away towards a new beginning.

Coming up also is a Contemporary European Film Festival, from May 16 to 24 at the Goethe Insitut again.

- Ziaul Karim