The Difficult Bride
| The Difficult Bride | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Rubaiyat Hossain |
| Written by | Rubaiyat Hossain |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Leonor Teles |
| Music by | Jim Williams |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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| Countries |
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| Language | Bengali |
The Difficult Bride is an upcoming Bangladeshi psychological drama film written and directed by Rubaiyat Hossain.[1] Set in a historic Dhaka beauty parlour, it follows Zaineen (Zaineen Chowdhury Karim), a bride-to-be whose wedding preparations draw her into a supernatural and psychological world shaped by beauty, faith, memory and fear.[2]
The film will have its world premiere at the Orizzonti section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 6 September 2026, marking the first Bangladeshi feature film to be selected for the festival.[3][4]
Plot
[edit]Days away from her wedding, Zaineen, a bride-to-be, arrives at Mayfair, a historic beauty parlour in Dhaka, to prepare for her wedding. As her wedding preparations progress, she finds herself drawn into an unsettling and mysterious world shaped by beauty, faith, memory and fear. Her body begins to revolt against bridal rituals in poetic and grotesque ways. Reality gradually gives way to the supernatural as she encounters strange events and psychological disturbances.[2][3][5]
Cast
[edit]- Zaineen Chowdhury Karim as Zaineen[1][3][6]
- Azmeri Haque Badhan
- Reekita Nondine Shimu
- Sunerah Binte Kamal
- Shatabdi Wadud
- Saberi Alam
- Mohammed Bari
- Dameer Khan (guest appearance)
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]The story of The Difficult Bride originated from an urban legend Hossain heard as a child at Mayfair Beauty Parlour, one of Dhaka's oldest salons.[2] According to the legend, a bride died under mysterious circumstances at the salon.[2] The idea stayed with Hossain for nearly two decades, evolving from a short film concept in 2006 into a feature screenplay through numerous rewrites.[4][2] Hossain stated that the film came together only when the financing, collaborators and cast naturally aligned.[4]
The film received post-production support from the inaugural Fondazione Prada Film Fund, the cultural institution of Italian fashion house Prada.[7][8]
The film is produced by France's Les Films de l'Après-Midi, in co-production with Portugal's Midas Filmes, Bangladesh's Khona Talkies, Norway's Barentsfilm and Germany's Tandem Productions.[3] The film also received backing from Eurimages, France's CNC, Portugal's ICA, Norway's Sørfond and Germany's World Cinema Fund.[3]
Casting
[edit]Zaineen Chowdhury Karim, a newcomer, was cast in the lead role after initially being hired as an assistant director.[6] She shares her first name with the character she plays. Karim had previously studied at Smith College in Massachusetts, where Hossain had also studied years earlier.[6] A former professor introduced them, and Karim initially joined the project as an assistant director before being offered the lead role.[6]
The cast also includes three Bangladesh National Film Award winners: Azmeri Haque Badhan, Reekita Nondine Shimu and Sunerah Binte Kamal.[3]
Filming
[edit]Principal photography took place in Bangladesh, beginning on 8 June 2025 and concluding on 8 July 2025, with a total of 26 shooting days.[9] Post-production was completed in Paris, France, and Lisbon, Portugal.[3]
Crew
[edit]The film was shot by Portuguese cinematographer Leonor Teles, who won the Short Film Golden Bear for a short film at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival in 2016.[3] The score was composed by British composer Jim Williams, whose credits include Julia Ducournau's Raw and Titane.[3]
Release
[edit]The Difficult Bride will have its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 6 September 2026.[1][10] The film is competing in the Orizzonti (Horizons) section, which is dedicated to emerging trends and innovative filmmaking.[8] It is the first Bangladeshi feature film to be selected for the Venice Film Festival.[4] Followed by its North American premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on 16 September.[1][11]
Films Boutique has acquired international sales rights for the film.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "After Venice milestone, Rubaiyat Hossain's 'The Difficult Bride' heads for TIFF". The Daily Star. 3 August 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Inside 'The Difficult Bride'". The Daily Star. 23 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Venice Title 'The Difficult Bride' Taps Films Boutique for World Sales (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. 23 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "The Difficult Bride and Rubaiyat Hossain's Venice breakthrough". The Business Standard. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "The Difficult Bride". Sørfond. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "How Zaineen became 'The Difficult Bride'". The Daily Star. 2 August 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "The Difficult Bride". Fondazione Prada. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- 1 2 "How a Bangladeshi movie made its way to the Venice Film Festival". Prothom Alo. 24 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "ভেনিস চলচ্চিত্র উৎসবে 'দ্য ডিফিকাল্ট ব্রাইড'". Desh Rupantor (in Bengali). 24 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "প্রথমবার ভেনিস চলচ্চিত্র উৎসবে বাংলাদেশের সিনেমা". Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 23 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "ভেনিসের পর এবার টরন্টোতে বাংলাদেশের 'দ্য ডিফিকাল্ট ব্রাইড'". Channel i Online (in Bengali). 3 August 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
External links
[edit]- The Difficult Bride at IMDb
- The Difficult Bride at the Venice Film Festival
- The Difficult Bride at Sørfond