Festival begins with conference, theatre and film screening

Norwegian Ambassador Aud Lise Norheim speaking at the film screening, a scene from the play Resurrection (Inset)

Norwegian Ambassador Aud Lise Norheim inaugurated International Ibsen Conference and theatre festival. The conference was chaired by Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui. ATM Ataur Rahman, secretary, Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Ahmed Nazir, director general, BSA were the special guests at the opening ceremony. Convenor of the festival Kamaluddin Nilu delivered the welcome speech.

Two theatre personalities were honourd in the opening ceremony. The winners of Ibsen Awards are Ebrahim Alkazi, India, from Asia and Terje Merli, Norway, from Europe.

Ebrahim Alkazi, the former director of National School of Drama and Asian Theatre Institute, Delhi, has had a long and significant contribution in theatre, contemporary Indian art and preservation of India's cultural heritage. He received prestigious Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan award provided by the Indian government in recognition of his contribution. On behalf of Ebrahim Alkazi, Utpal Banarjee received the laurel.

Acclaimed Norwegian director Terje Maeril has won goodwill in Europe as a specialist director on Ibsen's plays. He has directed over 100 stage plays including 32 productions of Ibsen's 16 plays.

After the opening, Merete Morken Andersen presented the keynote paper in the International Ibsen Conference titled 'Socio-political aspects of Ibsen's plays'. Professor Kabir Chowdhury chaired the conference while Professor Niaz Zaman was the discussant on Andersen's paper.

Later, a film screening session titled 'Ibsen Crossing Borders' was inaugurated at the plaza of National Art Gallery, BSA. The event started with screening of Faridur Rahman's documentary Ibsen in Bangladesh.

Faridur Rahman's documentary features the relevance of Henrik Ibsen's plays in Bangladesh. In course of doing that Rahman has drawn a brief history of including Ibsen's plays in the curriculum of different Departments of Universities in Bangladesh. Ibsen in Bangladesh also features contribution of the organisations such as Bangla Academy, Bishwa Shahitya Kendra and Bangladesh Television for popularising Ibsen's plays in the country. Clips from Ibsen's plays staged in Bangladesh are included in the documentary.

Ibsen in Bangladesh ends with featuring the events of ongoing Ibsen Commemoration '06, Bangladesh.

The final event of the day was staging of Resurrection, a Centre for Asian Theatre production at the National Theatre Stage.

Written by Kamaluddin Nilu, the play reconstructing different plays written by Henrik Ibsen, features his life, philosophy and approach to art. Kamaluddin Nilu directs Resurrection.

Centre for Asian Theatre in colleboration with BSA and supported by Royal Norwegian Embassy has arranged the Ibsen Commemoration Festival '06.