Bangladeshi filmmaker’s short film The Tale of Saad earns recognition in UK

The Bengali-language short film, written, produced and directed by Touhidul Islam Nadim, explores migration, family, sacrifice and belonging.

The Tale of Saad, a Bengali-language short film written, produced and directed by Bangladeshi filmmaker Touhidul Islam Nadim, has earned recognition in Wales and continued its festival journey in the United Kingdom and Bangladesh.

The film was nominated in the Postgraduate Drama category at the 2025 RTS Cymru Wales Awards, organised by the Royal Television Society Cymru Wales. The recognition followed its production as part of Nadim’s filmmaking studies at the University of South Wales, where he completed an MA in Film Directing.

Set against the emotional realities of migration, the approximately 15-minute film follows Saad, a young Bangladeshi man who leaves his love and family behind to build a new life in London. As his family makes sacrifices for his future, Saad gradually confronts the emotional consequences of leaving home and the difficulties of returning.

Produced in Bangladesh and the UK, the film brought together cast and crew members from Bangladesh and the United Kingdom. Its first official screening was held at Cineworld Cardiff in September 2024.

At its core, The Tale of Saad is a story about human relationships, personal choices and the difficult decisions people must make when circumstances leave them with limited options. Through its characters and realistic storytelling, the film explores how migration and separation affect not only those who leave home but also the families and relationships they leave behind.

The film emphasises emotional depth and naturalistic storytelling. Its performances aim to portray believable characters with whom audiences can connect, while the direction and visual presentation help establish the story’s atmosphere. Beyond entertainment, the film seeks to encourage reflection on migration, family, sacrifice and the sense of belonging.

For Nadim, the project holds particular significance as it connects his experiences as a Bangladeshi filmmaker with his education and life in Wales.

“The Tale of Saad is very personal to me because it comes from the experience of being away from home and trying to understand what migration means for both the person who leaves and the family who stays behind,” Nadim said.

“Making the film between Bangladesh and the UK also allowed me to bring together two important parts of my own filmmaking journey,” he added.

The production faced several challenges during development. Some of the plans for filming in Bangladesh became uncertain amid the country’s political unrest in 2024, forcing the team to adapt its production approach. Post-production work, including editing, colour grading, sound design and music, was subsequently carried out across the UK and Bangladesh.

Following its screening in Wales and recognition at the RTS Cymru Wales Awards, the film continued to reach audiences in Bangladesh. It was selected for the 4th Bangladesh Short & Documentary Film Festival, organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, with screenings in Dhaka and other divisional cities. It was also selected for the BRAC Migration Film Festival 2026 in Dhaka.

The film’s journey from a student production in Wales to screenings and recognition in both Wales and Bangladesh highlights opportunities for Bangladeshi filmmakers to bring Bengali-language stories to international audiences.

Its focus on migration and the experiences of people living between countries also resonates with the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK and elsewhere, many of whom navigate the challenges of separation, identity and maintaining family ties across borders.

Nadim began his professional career in Bangladesh’s media industry as an assistant director, working on feature films, television dramas, web productions, commercials and documentaries. He later moved to the UK to pursue postgraduate studies in filmmaking and is now continuing his career from London.

Through The Tale of Saad, Nadim aims to tell stories about migration, identity, family and the experiences of Bangladeshis living between countries.