The Uncertainty

Zafor Firoze is a Bangladeshi filmmaker and television personality whose recent screenplay, The Uncertainty, was awarded in the best screenplay category of the 8th edition of Berlin Art Film Festival.

The story is about Amid and Aida who are siblings. Amid is 10 years old and Aida is 6 years of age. They were shifted to Dhaka having lost all they had at the time of cyclone Sidr. These two siblings bereft of parents were brought up in the streets. Amid can make nice kites and the siblings maintain their daily expenditures by selling his kites. Amid and Aida have a kitten which they both have a deep fascination for. One day the kitten wanders off into a house through a hole in a wall where siblings Rakin and Raida live and are the same ages as Amid and Aida. The four youngsters meet when Amid and Aida are searching for their adventurous kitten. Rakin and Raida’s father is a naval commander and their mother is a doctor. Amid and Aida learn about a different world while playing with Rakin and Raida. A world where there is no want for anything. Amid and Aida visit Rakin and Raida’s house while their father and mother are out at their workplace. It is only two days before Eid. Rakin’s father talks with Rakin and Raida over skype. Raida shows her father his gift to her of 26 different new dresses, a gift for Eid. Raida’s father asks her to put on a dress and show him how it fits. However, Raida does not put on any dresses to show her father. Instead Raida says to her father “You know if I try on any of them it will become old; who wants to see the Eid day wearing an old dress?” Raida’s voice echoes inside Aida’s head. Amid and Aida keep walking through the streets. Aida tells her brother, “Dear brother, we don’t have any new dresses, how can we celebrate the Eid day?” However, they cannot manage to get any new dresses. After crying herself to sleep because she did not get any new dresses; the morning finally appears. There is a lot of joy all around. The younger sister remains asleep. The sunlight reflects on Aida’s body through a hole in the fence. Aida may get up at any time. He does not want his sister to awaken from her sleep. If the sunlight gets into the room it will wake her up. He tries to fill up the holes in the fence by tearing the pages out of her favourite book. Rakin is standing at the balcony of his house watching everything happening. Rakin leaves his house by the side of the park. Aida wakes up hearing the festival sounds all around. Raida says “dear brother, the moon has appeared, will we celebrate the Eid day?” Amid starts weeping. Aida approaches Amid and wipes the tears from his eyes. She says “please don’t cry my dear bro. This moon is not meant for us. You know we must celebrate the Eid day when the moon appears for us.” Rakin hears Aida’s words. After hearing her. He returns home to find everyone waiting and wearing new dresses. Rakin’s mother wants to help Rakin put on his new dress. Rakin says, “Mom, is this moon meant for us only?” his Mother feels confused. Everyone wonders what Rakin is talking about.

Zafor Firoze made his directorial debut with the Durbeen(2009), which earned him the Mumbai Film Academy Award as a best director. It is the first digital children film released in Bangladesh. He is a writer, director and producer. He has a M.A. in film from the LimKokWing University Malaysia and PhD studying in Film Studies from the LimKokWing University Malaysia. He is active in digital filmmaking with films, commercials and documentary films. He is media and Communication director for Commonwealth Youth Innovation hub. He is involved in so many social organizations. He wants to put a smile on people's faces.

Writer statement: I Wrote this story from my experience. You can say this is my story. When my grandfather's house was swallowed up by the river, he became helpless and also homeless. My grandfather's huge property was destruction away in the river due to a natural disaster. Once upon a time there was a football tournament in my grandfather's backyard. After flood the man had no place to go. I lost my sister. The cyclone took my sister away. My dad is still waiting for my sister. I tried to tell my story. Here I have tell how a beautiful world is ruined due to global warming.