Bangladeshi Director Mahde Hasan Examines Urban Life Fragility in ‘Sand City’

Bangladeshi filmmaker Mahde Hasan’s debut feature, ‘Sand City’, is an evocative exploration of urban life in Dhaka through the simple yet symbolic element of sand. The film follows Hassan, who collects silica sand and limestone to build a glass factory, and Emma, who uses sand for her cat’s litter. Their daily routines and discoveries create a subtle, non-linear narrative that reflects isolation, alienation, and the delicate balance of city life. Hasan draws from personal experiences and observations, using sand to represent both fragility and possibility. The film’s aesthetic approach, meticulously designed with controlled compositions and colour palettes, has drawn attention for its visual sophistication, while also facing critique for being perceived as too Westernised for a Bangladeshi setting. Through its narrative and imagery, ‘Sand City’ portrays Dhaka as a fragmented, rapidly changing urban environment, highlighting social inequalities and instability. The film will be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and is awaiting a domestic release in Bangladesh.