Bangladeshi screenwriter and film critic Sadia Khalid Reeti walked the highly coveted official Cannes Film Festival red carpet on May 22 at 9:45pm central European time. Her name and country was announced, as a part of the extraordinary red carpet line up this year that includes Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Emma Stone, Demi Moore, along with the most celebrated film directors of our time.
Reeti is the only person from Bangladesh to get this honour this year. She walked as a member of the Fipresci Jury board for Un Certain Regard. This is her second time in the Fipresci jury in Cannes. In 2019, she was a part of their jury for Critics’ Week and Directors’ Fortnight.
At Cannes, like in any other highly prestigious film festival and award ceremony, there’s an official red carpet line up that is highly sought after. It is quite difficult and prestigious to be highlighted there.
Reeti said, “I want to clarify something so we are not encouraging people to pack suitcases full of costumes and head to Cannes claiming they achieved some applaudable feat. The red carpet is there on the way to screenings of the main venues. But the red carpet where photographers line up in tuxes and gowns to feature someone officially for the festival is different. There are certain protocols and we should be diligent enough to not make a fool of ourselves anymore as artists and journalists.”
About her outfit, Reeti said, “I wanted to represent Bangladesh in a way that doesn’t put us in a box that stops us from evolving. I’m wearing Jamdani saris at the award ceremonies, but for the red carpet, I wanted to also highlight that the traditional fabrics used in saris can be fashioned into many things that we can own in the global stage. Everything from my gown and jacket to my jewellery, purse and shoes were all made in Bangladesh and are complements of my designers.”
Reeti studied Screenwriting at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Currently the Showtime Editor of Dhaka Tribune, Sadia has served as a jury member at different international film festivals in Italy, India, England, Nepal, France, Russia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. She was the first international voter for the Golden Globe Awards from Bangladesh. A Berlinale Talents alumna, she attended mentorship programs with Film Independent and Locarno Open Doors and is the recipient of Charles Wallace Fellowship from the British Council. She also teaches film studies at different universities and institutions.
The 77th Cannes Film Festival is taking place from May 14-25. There is noticeable South Asian representation mainly from India, with Payal Kapadiya’s “All We Imagine as Light” in the main competition, “Santosh” and “Shameless” in Un Certain Regard and “Sister Midnight” in Directors’ Fortnight.
Apart from being a Fipresci jury for Un Certain Regard, Reeti is also on the jury board of Critics’ Awards for Arab Films, which distributed the awards on May 18 at Cannes. The Fipresci Award will be given on May 25, prior to the Closing Ceremony of the festival.
