Variety has exclusively released a trailer for “Lost Land” (Harawatan), a deep personal drama by director Fujimoto, director of Japanese filmmakers about Rohingya refugees, which will premiere the world at the Venice Film Festival.
The film follows four-year-old Shafi and his nine-year-old sister Somira, who are hoping to be reunited with their scattered family on a dangerous journey from Bangladeshi refugee camp to Malaysia. What begins as a dangerous ship voyage with fellow Rohingya refugees becomes a test of survival when an incident at sea leaves the brothers in Thailand and is lost.
Fujimoto, whose previous films “Passion of Life” and “A Bothing Sea” explored the transition theme, moved to create a project after 12 years of working in Myanmar and discussing the Rohingya was considered taboo.
“That silence was a burden and led me to this film,” Fujimoto said in a statement from the director. “I felt strongly that I wanted to portray the journey of the Rohingya people as they left their homeland looking for a place where they could live in peace.”
Filmed in Rohingya, the drama features over 200 Rohingya people, including brothers and sisters who play Reid. Most had personally experienced similar journeys to those depicted in the film, but no trained actors.
“The weight of their living experiences gave them unmistakable strength and credibility to their presence on screen,” Fujimoto pointed out.
Rohingya human rights activist co-producer Sujoddin Karimdin emphasized the importance of the film as “the first ever Rohingya language film, played entirely by the Rohingya.”
“When the power of genocide works to erase not only the Rohingya people, but our music, and our very existence, this film stands as an act of preserving language, resistance, memory and telling truth,” Karimdin said.
The international co-production brings together Japan, France, Malaysia and Germany, and brings together cinematography by Beijing Yoshino, known for his collaboration with Oscar winner ryusuke on films including “No Evil Is Not.” The music is composed by Ernst Reijseger, who has worked extensively with Werner Herzog.
“Lost Land” is produced by Watanabe Kazutaka via EXN KK and has co-producers such as Angèle De Lorme (Panorama Films), Karimuddin (Elom Initiatives), Elise Shick (Cinemata), Christian Jilka (Scarlet Visions), and Eric Nyari (Cineric Creative). Additional production companies include Dongyu (Kunizane Mizue) and Kinematowards (Yasukawa Shogo). International sales are processed by Rediance.
Check out the trailer here:
