A romantic comedy with a huge heart and charm to match, promising director Phaim Bhuiyan’s debut is a fresh and spirited portrait of the complications of young love caught between very different beliefs.
Phaim (played by the director himself) is a 22 year old Italian of Bangladeshi origin. He lives with his family in Rome’s multiethnic Torpignattara neighbourhood, works as a museum steward and plays in a band. When he meets Asia (Carlotta Antonelli, Suburra: Blood on Rome), his exact opposite, she is not how he imagined his first girlfriend would be. Asia is impulsive and lives on instinct. Despite this, the attraction between them is immediate. But first, Phaim must figure out how to reconcile his love for her with one of his faith’s most sacred rules.
Based on the director’s own experiences and brimming with witty observations, Bangla is an endearing and relevant story about integration and identity.
Director
Phaim Bhuiyan
Phaim Bhuiyan (1995, Italy) is from a Bangladeshi family and studies Video Design and Film at the Istituto Europeo di Design. He worked as an assistant director on several films and has directed music videos and an episode of the Italian TV series Yoroi (2017). Bangla, is his debut feature film, which enjoyed a world premiere at Rotterdam International Film Festival 2019.