UK-based Bangladeshi writer and director Leesa Gazi is known for her award-winning documentary Rising Silence, about the survivors of sexual violence in the Bangladeshi War. Her debut fiction, A House Named Shahana, set in the ‘90s rural Bangladesh, explores a multitude of societal hypocrisies and taboos burdening Dipti, her female protagonist.
Aanon Siddiqua’s compelling performance lends authenticity to this wonderfully moving story about the protagonist reinventing herself after her divorce, fighting her way through a rigid patriarchal system, and trying to live on her terms. Her spirit, strength, and resilience triumphantly emerge – ending on a hopeful note.
Leesa Gazi
Leesa Gazi has dedicated her career to telling stories from women’s perspectives. She is a writer, theater practitioner, and award-winning filmmaker who co-founded the Komola Collective. Gazi directed the multi-award-winning documentary Rising Silence, about the survivors of sexual violence of the Bangladesh Liberation War, and has created several counter-violent extremism shorts for a United Kingdom think tank. In 2023, Amazon Crossing published the English translation of her critically acclaimed Bengali novel Rourob (Good Girls). Gazi’s first feature, A House Named Shahana, won awards at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival and BFI London Independent Film Festival 2023. She is also a founding member of the Global Survivors’ Network, SEMA.
