Documentary on renowned photographer Nasir Ali Mamun wins top award at UK Asian Film Festival

A documentary on Ekushey Padak-winning renowned Bangladeshi portrait photographer Nasir Ali Mamun has won the “Best Documentary Film Award” at the 28th edition of the UK Asian Film Festival.

Titled “Mamun: In Praise of Shadows”, the film was directed by British-Bangladeshi filmmaker Makbul Chowdhury.

The award ceremony was held on May 3 at The Garden Cinema in Covent Garden, London, following the screening of the film, said a press release.

An extended Q&A session with the director was held before the screening, moderated by Anita Haram. The discussion featured Mumbai-based film producer Siddharth Jain and Ashvin Devasundaram, Reader in Global Cinema Studies at Queen Mary University of London.

The panellists described Nasir Ali Mamun’s work as an extraordinary artistic expression shaped by a unique interplay of light and shadow, capturing deeper truths of history through the human face. They also praised the documentary as a thoughtful and artistic chronicle of Mamun’s creative journey.

The screening drew a full house, with members of the Bangladeshi diaspora from London and surrounding cities attending alongside festival guests.

For more than four decades, Mamun has played a pioneering role in portrait photography in Bangladesh, having introduced the artistic practice in the country during the 1970s.

Makbul spent more than five years making the documentary. During the period, he followed Mamun’s artistic journey across Dhaka, Kolkata, Paris and New York, documenting his work and relationships with prominent figures.

The UK Asian Film Festival is among the longest-running South Asian film festivals outside the Indian subcontinent. This year’s theme, “Stories That Bind Us”, celebrates narratives that foster connections across communities, cultures and generations.