Bangla

Playful and charming debut about Phaim (22 years old) from the multicultural district of Torpignattara in Rome. When Phaim falls madly in love with the liberated Asia, he panics. According to his traditional parents, he must marry a Bengali woman, and according to Islam, sex before marriage is a sin. This is a clash of cultures which is everyday reality for many second-generation immigrants. Phaim Bhuiyan based Bangla on his own life, playing the lead in a fictionalised version of himself. Comparisons with the recent cinema hit The Big Sick are easy to make and Bangla also proves that the tried and tested romcom formula lends itself perfectly to serious themes. In their own city, Phaim and his friends, who did not acquire Italian nationality until they were 18, are regarded as foreigners and they struggle with their parents' expectations. An honest comedy about integration and identity. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)