CHOBI Mela IV, the international festival of photography kicked off on November 9. The theme of this year's festival is "Boundaries". The festival includes 49 exhibitions highlighting works of photographers from 23 countries, seminars, workshops and more.

The festival was inaugurated at the National Museum. CM Shafi Sami, Adviser to the Caretaker Government, was the guest of honour at the event. Sultana Kamal, Adviser to the Caretaker Government; Robert Pledge, President of Contact Press Images and Douglas Foskett, the Australian High Commissioner attended the event as special

guests.

The programme started with a song Ei ami, on what boundaries mean to a common man. Australian photographer Trent Parke, a participant in the festival, shared his views. Parke also talked about his collection of images taken during a road trip in his native country. Norwegian photographer Morten Krogvold also spoke at the event.

Robert Pledge said, "I get asked about Chobi Mela at major international events. People are usually amazed that an event of this scale is held in Bangladesh and I tell them the reason is Shahidul Alam (Director of the festival). It's his dedication and tireless efforts that made Chobi Mela IV possible."

Sultana Kamal said, "I'm here as a human rights activist and Drik has

played a major role in portraying the lives of Bangladeshis to the world. I believe festivals are manifestations of human existence. Drik has done a wonderful job with Chobi Mela."

This year the festival is honouring two noted photographers with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Peter Magubane of South Africa and Rashid Talukder of Bangladesh are the recipients of the award this year. The awards are given as recognition to photographers who have made outstanding contribution to the field of photography.

Magubane is South Africa's best known photographer and has documented the country's struggle against Apartheid. He was tortured, detained and kept in solitary con-

finement for 586 days and his house was burnt down. But that did not stop him from demonstrating with his camera. He was awarded the American National Professional Photographers Association Humanistic Award in 1986 in recognition of one of the several incidents in which he put his camera aside and intervened to help prevent people from being killed. His photographs have appeared in National geographic, the New York Times and Time magazine. Magubane could not attend the event due to ailment.

Talukder is the first conveynor of Bangladesh Photo Journalists' Association and is a veteran photojournalist. He is most noted for visual documentation of the Liberation War in 1971. One of the

most revered photographers of the country, Talukder has received several awards at home and abroad including honours from uNESCO, uNICEF and the Japan Photographic Society. As Shahidul Alam put it: "When I teach classes, I always give references of Rashid bhai's work."

The Chobi Mela Lifetime Achievement Awards given in collaboration with the Prince Claus Fund are allocated through scholarships in the name of the award recipients to aspiring photographers from rural areas, who want to study photography at Pathshala, the South Asian Institute of Photography.

The Daily Star is a media partner of the festival.