Winner Documentary – From Burma to Bangladesh
Name: Mrittika Kamal
University: University of Liberal Arts in Bangladesh

Identity crisis coupled with decades of statelessness has paralised the Rohingya community by forcing them into a vicious cycle of genocides and displacement followed by failed repatriations. With a view to expel the Rohingyas into neighbouring Bangladesh, the Tatmadaw or Military Government of Myanmar (GoM) denounced the identity of the Rohingyas by labelling them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and has been carrying out recurring episodes of ethnic cleansing attempts. The Rohingyas have been scrambling across the globe to find a place but till date they still remain stateless and vulnerable in Myanmar as well as the countries they have managed to escape to. Many of them live in inhabitable conditions in different countries– either in camps or as illegal immigrants with no prospect of decent standard or living or secured lives in the horizon. Bangladesh has been dealing with the Rohingya crisis of these ‘Myanmar nationals’ since its inception– particularly because of the geographical proximity to Myanmar. 

About the filmmaker

Mrittika Kamal is passionate about making short films, documentaries and photography. She mostly works about human rights violations. She has extensive knowledge on Indigenous Peoples on Bangladesh, untouchable populations, religious minorities. Her main interest lies in working with sexual harassment issues. She is the director of an organization named “Teraccotta Creatives Multimedia.” She has worked in different capacities (Director, Cinematographer, Editor) in more than 20 productions. The director is currently pursuing MA in Film Studies at the University of Essex, United Kingdom.