Mezbaur Rahman Sumon unveils ‘Roid’ trailer ahead of Rotterdam premiere

Mezbaur Rahman Sumon has released the first trailer for his second feature film, Roid, three years after the commercial and critical success of Hawa. 

The trailer was unveiled on Tuesday and has since generated strong reactions from film professionals, critics, and cinephiles, with many in the industry describing it as one of the most striking Bangladeshi trailers in recent years.

The trailer follows the earlier release of the film's official poster and the announcement that Roid will have its world premiere in February at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film has been officially selected for the festival's main competition section, the Tiger Competition, marking the first time a Bangladeshi feature-length film has been chosen to compete for the Tiger Award.

The selection is being viewed as a major milestone in the international journey of Bangladeshi cinema. Notably, the Tiger Competition has previously showcased early works by filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan and Bong Joon-ho.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Sumon said Roid centres on a sadhu, his mentally unstable wife, and a palm tree beside their home. He described the film as a reimagining of a thousand-year-old narrative, set not in the present of time but in what he called "the present of emotion." He added that the film's visual and emotional texture draws heavily from the rural Bengal depicted in the works of painter S M Sultan.