Bangladeshi political drama ‘Master’ wins top prize at Italy film festival
Film tracing idealistic teacher’s descent into authoritarian politics wins Best Feature Film at 22nd Lucca Film Festival
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladeshi filmmaker Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s political drama “Master,” which examines how idealism can be consumed by corruption and authoritarian power, has won the Best Feature Film award at the 22nd Lucca Film Festival in Italy.
The award marks another major international recognition for Sumit’s second feature, which earlier won the Big Screen Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and has since screened at festivals including the Sydney Film Festival.
Set in the fictional forest town of Mohoganj, “Master” follows Jahir, a widely respected history teacher whose socialist ideals and popularity among young people propel him into local politics.
After winning election as chairman, Jahir enters a political system shaped by patronage, bureaucratic pressure and powerful private interests, gradually abandoning the principles that brought him to office.
The Bengali-language film traces his transformation from a community figure seeking social change into an increasingly corrupt and authoritarian politician, while his pursuit of power damages his relationships with his family and those who initially supported him.
The story is rooted in Bangladesh but carries echoes of the country’s recent political history.
The International Film Festival Rotterdam, where “Master” had its world premiere, placed Jahir’s political journey against questions raised by the 2024 mass uprising that ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, asking how authoritarian systems are sustained not only by leaders but by people operating within networks of political influence.
At Lucca, the international jury said that by telling an apparently local story, “Master” captures a wider crisis confronting representative democracy around the world.
The jury particularly praised the screenplay and its portrayal of a socially committed teacher whose principles collide with a political system increasingly governed by individual interests rather than the needs of the wider community.
It said Jahir’s eventual surrender to corruption reflected patterns recognizable far beyond Bangladesh, giving the film a universality despite its distinctly local setting.
Sumit described the award as an unexpected honor and said the recognition demonstrated the film’s “universality and urgency.”
The feature-film jury included Academy Award-winning costume designer Franca Squarciapino, Lithuanian filmmaker Šarūnas Bartas and Italian actor, director and screenwriter Michele Riondino.
Twelve films competed in the festival’s international feature section.
Held in Tuscany from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4, the festival also presented lifetime achievement honors to prominent filmmakers including Nanni Moretti and Julian Schnabel, while Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn received its Golden Panther Award.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
