Alliance Française de Dhaka will screen Happy Rain (2015) by Dr Isabelle Antunes on 16 March 2016 at 6:00pm.

 Isabelle Antunes’ latest documentary film is based in Bangladesh and was previously screened at the UN COP 21 Conference on Climate Change in Paris in December 2015. The work favors the rise of Bangladesh and shows the country has immense likelihood to uplift itself. Despites all odds, Bangladesh can outdo when its efforts get united has got wider focus in the documentary, says a press release. 

To be specific, the story is  about the development of fish farming in the low flooded lands (post-monsoon rain) in what were in another season the rice paddy fields of Daudkandi (2 hours from South-East of Dhaka).

Every year, rivers and streams descending from China, Nepal, Bhutan and India join together and overflow, flooding and nourishing the Bangladeshi soil throughout the long monsoon months collectively opens up loads of opportunities for the local people in the region. 

The work is the brain-child of S M Morshed, Shisuk director, who aimed to introduce multi-produce and accordingly he managed local communities to invest and to create a fishing company together.

A large portion of the capital went into building the infrastructure — the dams and water gates that would retain and control the water. After 15 years, all villages became connected and built new local economy with strong value chain through private enterprise which translates the dream to be  a middle income country by 2021.

Bangladesh is in a transition and undergoes challenges despite  criticism and positive highs and negative lows — is clear in Isabelle Antunes’ meaningful depiction of people’s lives.

Dr Isabelle Antunes will be present in Dhaka for the screening of Happy Rain.

Born in France and brought up in Australia, Dr Isabelle Antunes  worked in Indonesia,  Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, New Caledonia and Pakistan in the Asia-Pacific region; as well as Botswana, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Senegal in Africa.