SCREENING IN THE BERNARD OSHER FOUNDATION AUDITORIUM
“[A] vibrant and lovely film.”
102 minutes. Not rated. Directed by Amitabh Reza Chowdhury. In English and Bengali with English subtitles.
Daring and determined, teenaged girl Naima longs to earn money for her poor Bangladeshi family, but her unrivaled artistic talent is of little use. When her father grows gravely ill, Naima feels she has no choice but to leave her small village for the bright lights of Dhaka.
In the big city, Naima finds the same economic, societal, and gender pressures faced by most young girls in Bangladesh. She cleverly disguises herself as a boy and takes the difficult job of a rickshaw puller. When her gender is revealed and her livelihood vanishes, Naima finds an unconventional solution to her problems. Based on the acclaimed novel by Mitali Perkins.
Illustrator Jamie Hogan will introduce the film and present illustrations from Rickshaw Girl with I’m Your Neighbor Books. Jamie will be available to sign copies of Rickshaw Girl before and after the film, and will also be offering prints for sale. Copies of the book will be available at the screening.
Jamie Hogan is an award-winning illustrator living on Peaks Island. Rickshaw Girl was her first published children's book in 2007 and it has since won numerous awards and been translated into many languages, including Hindi. She taught illustration at Maine College of Art & Design for fifteen years and recently wrote and illustrated Skywatcher, a picture book about finding dark skies.
I’m Your Neighbor Books strives to build a stronger America, one where immigrants are welcomed and where first-through-third-generation Americans truly belong. The Portland nonprofit facilitates this work by curating, loaning, and gifting children's books featuring our New Arrival and New Generation communities.