New documentary looks at Bangladesh’s growing scene via Breakfast Club Dhaka 1433
Filmed at the 24-hour Pohela Boishakh festival, the film covers safe spaces, South Asian collaboration & what’s next for the community
Breakfast Club DhakaBreakfast Club Dhaka has released a documentary on its 24-hour Pohela Boishakh festival, giving a close look at how Bangladesh’s electronic music scene is growing.
Local DJs, visiting artists from South Asia and Europe, and people from the crowd talk about what they are building and how much is still ahead.
The film opens in daylight, where the festival began. Nightlife and DJing still carry a stigma in Bangladesh, and for a long time the music stayed in small rooms with familiar faces. Breakfast Club moved it into the daytime to reach more listeners and made space for families on the dancefloor.
That leads into a discussion of what it takes to create a safe space, one where people feel comfortable enough to show up. The discussion also touches on house music’s roots and link them to the Bangladeshi culture of being “a great host.”
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The documentary then turns to South Asia on one stage, bringing together artists from Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Several of them speak about their shared history and the value of supporting one another.
From there, the short film looks at how the festival was built, opening with the story behind the Hutum Pecha stage, created in collaboration with Mixmag Asia and Bhai Bhai Soundsystem. The stage was assembled from around 35 pieces, a puzzle that took seven to eight hours to solve.
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The final section follows the scene’s growth from roughly dozens of people to a wave of young producers, and looks ahead to plans to take Bangladeshi artists abroad.
Dive into the documentary in its entirety below.
Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.
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