Photo credit: CourtesyA beautiful and thought-provoking Bangladeshi documentary, ‘Nomads of the North,’ has recently made waves internationally, winning the important Sunny Side of the Doc Prize at the Doc Edge Festival 2025 in New Zealand. This prestigious award serves as notable recognition for the work currently underway. For Bangladeshi filmmaking, this win is a significant leap; it underscores the universal appeal a story from home can achieve.
Still in production, the documentary itself is a deeply moving exploration of life in the floodplains of northern Bangladesh. With a projected runtime of 80 minutes, it aims to capture the essence of a region where the forces of land, loss, and longing are interwoven into daily existence. The film spans six changing seasons, offering a lyrical meditation on how people adapt and endure. Through the perspectives of music, memory, and resilience, ‘Nomads of the North’ portrays lives intrinsically shaped by water and the passage of time. The film, ‘Nomads of the North’, was directed and produced by Piplu R Khan.
The film’s win at the Doc Edge Festival, one of the Asia-Pacific’s most respected platforms for documentaries, speaks volumes about its strength and universal appeal. This accolade grants the team an invitation to represent Bangladesh at Sunny Side of the Doc 2026 in La Rochelle, France – a premier international market for co-productions and documentaries. It is a rare opportunity to build global partnerships, expand distribution networks, and reach wider audiences.
Before this international honour, the project, currently in an active development and production phase with its first round of filming completed, had already received the Bangladesh Government Documentary Grant. It was also chosen for Dhaka DocLab 2024 and the Doc Edge Industry Pitch 2025, indicating its potential and quality from early on, and gaining momentum as an emerging international co-production. With the Sunny Side of the Doc Prize in hand, the team gains a prime opportunity to present the project at the 2026 market, bringing its completion closer to the 2027 target.
Junjuni Chakma, the executive producer, shared that the film came from quiet observation, out of walking, listening, and learning to see with humility. For Chakma, having this careful and sensitive approach acknowledged globally is both an honour and a gentle reminder that stories rooted in specific places can indeed travel far when told with sincerity and care.
‘Nomads of the North’ shows a new direction for documentaries from South Asia. It proves that stories that feel very local can still connect with everyone, exploring ideas about meaning, dignity, and connection that are understood across different cultures. The documentary’s success underscores the growing recognition of different voices and narratives from regions like Bangladesh. This success acknowledges the talent and effort of the filmmakers, and importantly, shines a light on the rich cultural history and human experiences of northern Bangladesh, inviting audiences worldwide to listen, learn, and connect with a story told from the heart.