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‘I hope our message of tolerance resonates with people’

Krishnendu Bose’s ‘Bay of Blood’: A commanding call for recognition and justice
Krishnendu Bose is a visionary Indian filmmaker with a profound commitment to storytelling. In 1985, he established Earthcare Films -- a platform renowned for producing award-winning documentaries that address wildlife conservation and environmental justice.
MAHIYA TABASSUM
Notable works in his repertoire include Harvesting Hunger (2000), The Amazing Race Asia (2006), and The Forgotten Tigers (2014).
His latest endeavour, Bay of Blood , is a gripping documentary that delves deep into the heart of Bangladesh’s tumultuous past, exploring the horrors of 1971 Bangladesh genocide.
In a recent interview with The Daily Star, the filmmaker talks about his latest project, political perspectives, motivations and challenges, and more.
What inspired you to choose this particular subject for your project?
I was around ten years old during the Liberation War. I witnessed the staggering effect of the war that rippled through India and it has always stayed with me.
I thought of telling the story in 2019 and spent ten days in Dhaka, interviewing a cross-section of people relevant to the War.
By early 2020, I was determined to narrate the story of this nation’s birth through this film.
Can you share some of your challenges in terms of accessing historical footage and testimonies?
I found the experience rather surprising than challenging.
Visual representations of the Liberation War tend to have relied more on standard footage from the Indian Films Division and Bangladesh Film Archive.
Ironically, though the tale of Bangladesh’s uprising was known to very few, it was extensively covered by news broadcasters like the BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, and the Indian Films Division. They have a goldmine of archives that are easily accessible online. Regretfully, we don’t have the urge to look for it.
Any personal or emotional moments during the process that left a lasting impact on you?
The eyewitnesses and victims’ family members shared harrowing accounts on camera -- brutal details of the events etched deep into their memories. For a daughter who witnessed the assassination of her entire family, the trauma became a recurring nightmare.
At times, it seemed if I were standing right there, reliving the incidents. A sense of anger and helplessness came over me when I encountered accounts ofpremeditated violence unleashed on unarmed civilians.
What role did objectivity play in shaping ‘Bay of Blood’ ?
Objectivity is crucial as it ensures the film’s credibility. During the process, I realised that this film must address a global audience and for westerners, a story’s integrity streamlines with rationality and evidences. The team’s diversity played a pivotal role in preserving objectivity in the production.
Daniel Feierstein played a pivotal role here in explaining the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of genocide. Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, also explained the curve of the genocide in his testimonies -- from “superior raciality” to “ethnic cleansing”.
How does ‘Bay of Blood’ highlight the relevance of genocide in current chaotic context worldwide?
Genocide and attacks on democracy were not isolated events confined to 1971. They had existed before and still persist, extending their relevance even into 2023.
Democracy resembles a child – vulnerable and unprotected, unable to survive on its own. It is our responsibility to safeguard, feed, and nurture it. Anti-democratic processes, people, and forces are always there, lurking around to undermine it. However, it is not confined to a particular nation.
‘Bay of Blood’ ends with a message of tolerance. How do you envision this message resonating with audiences across the globe?
Despite intense violence, death, and bloodshed being depicted throughout the 95-minute docufilm, in the end, I hope our message of tolerance is what truly resonates with people.
Everybody should stand for secularism and tolerance.