Bangladeshi documentary film on ‘71 rape survivors Bishkanta (The Poison Thorn) has been invited to participate at Baghdad International Film Festival to be held from 3 to 7 December.

The film is selected in the documentary film category. This year the festival is dedicated to the memory of Iraqi actor Youssef al-Ani and Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda.

The Poison Thorn, directed by Farzana Boby and produced by Rubaiyat Hossain, revolves around the narratives of three rape survivors of Liberation War on 1971 of Bangladesh. Their voices have been resurrected from the agony of silence.

The film as the pain and stigma of rape kept haunting them long after the independence of Bangladesh. They felt even though the war had ended, another one had begun within their personal lives. Women who fought and survived rape are still struggling to gain a respectable existence in the society. They are Birangonas — War heroes — yet they have to fight everyday for social approval.

Ranjita Mandal blames patriarchy; Halima Khatun accuses the state, and Rama Choudhury negates the idea of violence. They speak to break a silence after long forty-three years and through their voices, a new part of our history and identity comes into light.

The Poison Thorn is a production of Khona Talkies.