Hawa: an authentic exploration of shanties and fishermen’s tales

On July 29th, Hawa was released in Bangladesh’s theatres. The mystery-drama film was a beautiful insight into the lives of Bengali fishermen and their culture, devoid of overt  western influence in its storytelling and artistic choices.

In an auditory sense, the movie stayed true to its central narrative of fishermen. The organic accents of the lead actors enriched the narrative with nuance and authenticity. The appeal of the film was also greatly enhanced by its music. The only “background music” Hawa possessed was the sounds of the sea. The soundtrack itself had minimal production and utilised pots and pans, nodding to the simplicity of fisherman life.

Hawa excelled in immersing audiences into the plot with the help of its storytelling and visuals. The incorporation of fishermen’s legends into the story added a unique angle of fantasy to the eerie mystery, supplying depth to the plot.  The experience became more enveloping with the use of drones and underwater shots.
The reason why Hawa was so well received was because the premise of the film was unique to Bangladesh. There were minimal Western influences throughout the film, and the essence of Bengali culture shone through.