Associate Producer Arnila Guha Reflects on the 50th Independence Day of Bangladesh
By Arnila Guha Nolok, Associate Producer
Arnila Guha Nolok, Associate Producer
I was a little girl when my parents first told me about March 26th, the Independence Day of Bangladesh, and the struggles and sacrifices of those before us so I could have a national heritage and language to proudly express. Bangladesh became an independent nation in 1971. As a Bangladeshi filmmaker living and working in Texas, I have always longed to tell stories of people from my part of the world. I find these stories motivating. Yet, there are so many left untold. As a recent graduate, I feel that I still have so much to discover.
Last year, I went to Chicago for the first time to visit my friend and his new wife. We visited different sites, including the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower). We took memorable photographs, stood at the amazing Skydeck, and were awestruck by the breathtaking views of Chicago. I enjoyed my time there as a tourist and came back to Texas. Months passed. Then one day, I saw a post in a filmmakers group, from a female documentary filmmaker looking for Bangladeshis working in documentaries. I immediately reached out to introduce myself. The filmmaker was director Laila Kazmi. She was putting together a team for her first feature-length documentary about the Bangladeshi-American structural engineer, Dr. Fazlur Rahman Khan, who is known as the ‘father of the modern skyscrapers.’ Dr. Khan, I learned, designed the Willis Tower, which I had seen for the first time just months before. To me, an opportunity to assist on a documentary about him was not to be missed. I happily joined the team!
This year, Bangladesh is celebrating its 50 years of independence. For me, as a Bangladeshi storyteller, there couldn’t be a better way to mark this momentous year than by being on the team making a film about one of our most inspiring figures. Dr Khan passed away suddenly in 1982. He was 52. His innovations in structural engineering of skyscrapers earned him many awards around the world. In 1999, he was posthumously awarded the Independence Day Award in Bangladesh for his achievements in architecture.
As I celebrate this Independence Day, I am grateful for innovators like Dr Khan, whose stories can inspire new generations of thinkers and achievers. I am excited to be part of this project and help bring Dr Khan’s story to a global audience.
Arnila Guha Nolok
