The Star

In the Islamic country of Bangladesh, films are primarily made for an audience of lower-class males. On the one hand, the actresses are adored by the spectators as stars, but on the other hand, from their religious persuasion most people can only feel contempt for these ‘fallen women‘. Not surprisingly, a normal life as a respected member of society and marriage is almost unattainable for an actress. In TÄTHI, director Richard Solarz follows the realisation of a Bengali feature film, with the young Swedish Lisa in the leading role. The film, about the relationship between a Western woman and a Bengali man, is alternately shot in Bangladesh and Sweden. The trip exposes many prejudices and cultural differences to the cast and crew of the film. Lisa is embraced as a new star in the poverty-stricken Bangladesh, but the way she and her female Bengali colleagues are treated by the male filmmakers and co-actors is not always respectful. The double moral standards and the resulting dilemmas are painfully unveiled when the producer of the film falls in love with the actress Shangita. He proposes to her, but attaches the condition that if she agrees she will immediately have to terminate her acting career. A condition she is forced to accept; for her, this is the chance of a lifetime. In this way, TÄTHI not only portrays the film industry of Bangladesh, but also questions the subordinate position of women in this country, constantly relating the two subjects to the situation in Sweden.