Growing up in 80s Harlem, Alaudin Ullah was swept up in the revolutionary pulse of hip-hop while struggling to connect with his Muslim Bangladeshi parents and heritage.
The film follows the playwright from the streets of New York to Bangladesh in search of his parents’ stories. His father left East Bengal in 1922 aged fourteen, became part of a vibrant Harlem community where Bengali Muslim men, navigating racist Asian Exclusion laws, married into African American and Puerto Rican families—breaking bread with figures like Malcolm X and Miles Davis.
In Bangladesh he unravels his mothers poignant story, one of the first women to migrate from rural Bangladesh in the 60’s, revealing a life of resilience and courage.
Explore this transformative story of belonging, and our own understanding of the intertwined histories and solidarity of South Asian Muslims, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans featuring a dynamic soundtrack by Vijay Iyer, Zakir Hussain, Ganavya, Imani Uzuri, and Yosvany Terry.
Audiences are invited to bond and continue the conversation over drinks and hospitality snacks at the cinema bar, with Dj sets by the wonderful DayTimers crew Dj Provhat and Izzi.
This event is in partnership and support of The Blindan Project, Soul City Arts and Brown Girl In The Ring.
“In Search of Bengali Harlem is remarkable in the way it tells the decades-long story of the Bengali community’s integration in Harlem, and the way Black and Brown people found each other, peeling back layer after deeply personal layer of one subject’s life. With a charismatic lead and beautiful musical accompaniment, this film provides a unique perspective of the immigrant experience and honours the singular place New” – Juror’s Statement, DOC NYC 2022, Metropolis Competition
Bengali Harlem Films Instagram
If you have any access requirements, please contact our box office team on 020 7613 7498 or email boxoffice@richmix.org.uk
