The Blind Girl and an Elephant Wins Best Cinematography at 28th SIFF

SHANGHAI — In a historic victory for South Asian independent cinema, the Bangladeshi feature film “The Blind Girl and an Elephant” (Sankota Dulchhe) has won the prestigious Best Cinematography award in the Asian New Talent competition section at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF). The official announcement came during the star-studded Golden Goblet Awards Ceremony held at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, bringing the ten-day, FIAPF-accredited A-list festival to its competitive climax. The film’s cinematographer, Samiul Karim Shuptak, was awarded the top technical honor for his striking visual design. Because he could not attend the venue in person, director Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad and producer Manoj Pramanik accepted the trophy on his behalf on the Shanghai stage.

The production marks the feature directorial debut of Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad and stands as the first full-length feature production from actor and academic Manoj Pramanik's production house, Manpachitra. The project was developed in close collaboration with the German production company Mogador Films, with veteran German producer Christoph Thoke serving as associate producer. Further strengthening its international credentials, the acclaimed film critic, producer, and programmer Darcy Paquet joined the team as a consulting producer, alongside filmmaker and producer Fazle Hasan Shishir, who served as a co-producer.

Shot entirely in black and white, Sankota Dulchhe relies on a poetic cinematic language deeply rooted in the socio-cultural realities of rural Bangladesh. The narrative follows the intertwined lives of three young women who harbor dreams of breaking free from the suffocating grip of local superstition, patriarchy, and systemic social oppression. Through a series of unexpected and deeply painful narrative turns, a blind young woman ultimately discovers the internal strength to continue pursuing her dreams, eventually coming face-to-face with a mysterious elephant. The film features a dedicated ensemble cast, including Sanzida Akter Swarna, Tahmida Rahman Touhida, Sumaiya Haque, Ashok Bepari, Sabiha Zaman, Pankaj Majumdar, Munsif Mim, and Nishat Tasnim.

The competitive arena at the 28th edition of the festival was exceptionally fierce, pulling in a record-breaking 4,100 submissions from 125 countries. Within the highly selective Asian New Talent category, chaired this year by the celebrated Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen, several top honors were distributed across the region. The Chinese feature Her First Taste claimed the coveted Best Film award, with its lead Ma Fufu securing the Best Actress title. Meanwhile, Thai cinema saw significant recognition as filmmaker Sompot Chidgasornpongse won Best Director for Nine Temples to Heaven, and Sompop Sangkhamphol walked away with the Best Actor accolade, placing the technical triumph of Bangladesh's The Blind Girl and an Elephant alongside the very best of contemporary Asian independent cinema.