Artistic approach in photographs and posters

A still from the cinema Sareng Bou

BFA library has about 14554 still photographs of films like Akash O Mati, Asia, Ayna O Aboshishto, Alo Chhaya, Anka Banka, Bolaka Mon, Maheshkhalir Banke, Dumurer Phul, Shurjo Shongram and so on. These photos are the memories of the golden era of our film industry. Librarian Nazrul Islam said, 'These pictures were mostly scattered here and there before the archive was established. We collected these pictures from different sources. But it is difficult to preserve the pictures in there present condition.'

The black and white and colour posters of many popular films are also found at the archive. These posters were initially hand-drawn and later printed on the plates and finally displayed on the walls of the street. Even now the posters of the new releases are displayed but it is needless to say that the contents of these posters are no longer sophisticated like they used to be in the golden era of our films. Vulgarity has taken over the entire film industry.

Bangladesh Film Archive has a collection of about 6677 posters both from the past and present. One look at these posters is enough to reveal the simplistic life style of the society. In the posters of recent films obscenity and unnatural elements have replaced all these finer aspects of life.