Published: : September 29, 2026, 11:45 PM
Bangladeshi filmmaker Chaitali Somadder’s short film Mariyam has continued its international festival journey with a screening at the Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, adding another overseas platform to a film that has already received recognition at home and abroad.
The 30-minute Bengali short centres on Mariyam, a 14-year-old schoolgirl living in a village, whose life and family are devastated after she becomes the victim of sexual violence. A video of the assault is subsequently circulated online, exposing the family to social isolation and pressure from within the community. The story eventually reaches a critical point when a village arbitration orders Mariyam to marry her rapist, prompting her mother to resist the decision and seek help from the police.
Written, directed and produced by Chaitali Somadder, Mariyam features Saiful Islam Panna, Jannatul Preety and Baishaki Somadder among its principal cast. The film is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language short drama with a running time of approximately 30 minutes.
The film has also earned significant recognition. At the Fest5 International Film Festival 2025, Mariyam received the Community & Culture Award, marking an important achievement in its international festival journey.
On the national stage, Mariyam was selected as the Best Short Film at Bangladesh’s National Film Awards 2023, further establishing the film as one of the notable Bangladeshi short productions of recent years.
Its festival journey continued in Bangladesh as well. The film was included in the Women Filmmakers Section of the 24th Dhaka International Film Festival 2026, reflecting its continued presence across both national and international festival circuits.
Through a story rooted in sexual violence, digital abuse and social stigma, Mariyam examines not only the suffering of a young survivor but also the pressures imposed on her family and the consequences of community-led judgement. The film approaches these issues through a deeply human perspective, placing the emotional and social aftermath of violence at the centre of its narrative.
Its continued presence on international festival platforms has enabled Mariyam to carry a distinctly Bangladeshi social reality to wider audiences. With its focus on trauma, resistance and the struggle for justice, the film adds an important voice to contemporary Bangladeshi short cinema while continuing to expand its reach beyond the country.
