As part of GemArts Masala Festival 2026, join us for a screening of Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's prizewinning film, Master. 


About the film

Director: Rezwan Shahriar Sumit  |  Bengali with English subtitles  |  Bangladesh 2026 
Digital video  |  126 minutes  | Advised age 15+

Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s taut, nuanced film­ explores ambition and the tendency of power to corrupt, in a fiction rooted in the reality of contemporary politics. 
 
Jahir, a well-liked teacher, husband and father, finds fulfilment in his family and work – until he is elected upazila chairman of Mohoganj, a forested suburb. Initially supported by local youth, he steps into power with noble intentions, but the weight of expectations soon overwhelms him. Unable to refuse those who helped him rise, Jahir bends to mounting demands, compromising his principles.  
 
If Master is resonant with Bangladeshi audiences following the July Revolution of 2024, its parable of how persuasion can lead to coercion – and division – is a borderless one, and not without parallels closer to home. 
 
Winner of the main prize at International Film Festival Rotterdam this year, Master is currently without a UK distributor, and screens here directly after its UK première at the UK Asian Film Festival in May: this is the only chance to catch it. 

Presented by GemArts and Baltic Cinema. 

This event is part of Baltic Cinema's Currents strand, showcasing the best new cinema from across the world. 
 
Doors open 18:00; Film starts 18:30. Pop-up cinema bar open from 18:00 for drinks. 



Nearest Metro: Gateshead



 

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