Bangladeshi director Adnan Al Rajeev’s haunting short film ‘Ali’, which created history by registering the first-ever win for the country at Cannes Film Festival with Special Mention from the Short Films Jury, was showcased at the just-concluded Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Set in a coastal village where women are forbidden to sing, visually-striking ‘Ali’ follows a teenage boy entering a singing competition while concealing a secret that challenges everything he’s been taught. ‘Ali’ is a 15-minute allegorical drama that blends poetic realism with a searing social commentary on identity, censorship, and generational silence.Rajeev, a prominent voice in South Asian visual storytelling and founder of Runout Films, talks about finding unconventional narratives, and his love for deeply personal stories. Excerpts:What triggered the writing and making of ‘Ali’?The seed of ‘Ali’ came from silence. The silence most of us live with every day. We often can’t break out and say or do what we truly feel because of invisible boundaries like social, cultural, personal. I wanted to break that silence through a very small, intimate story, one that doesn’t only represent a single boy, but speaks for many.Did you find its visual language from the beginning? Also, how integral is music to your storytelling?Yes, the visual language was very clear to me from the outset. I leaned toward an avant-garde aesthetic using low-key lighting to give it a haunting presence. As for music, I’m a lover of everything, from classical to heavy metal, EDM to rap. Music always gives me images for my visuals. It helps me design the rhythm and momentum of a shoot, almost like a heartbeat guiding the story. A still from Ali.You have been making web series and TV shows for several years. Why did you think of directing a short film?I’ve made some fictions for TV before. But honestly, I believe there is no fixed grammar to a soulful story. I’ve been working across different mediums, but the story is what always matters most. One story can be told in many different ways. I love that freedom. For me, filmmaking is all about experimentation, and the short form allows me to play, to test approaches I’ve never tried before. It’s a creative playground.Story continues below this adALSO READ | Jolly LLB 3 movie review: Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi combine forces to deliver the weakest film of the franchiseWill your short films be stepping stones to making feature films?Absolutely. I am already writing, and also looking for possible collaborations in writing.‘Ali’ received the judges’ Special Mention award at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. What does it mean for Bangladeshi cinema?Story continues below this adIt means visibility. Cannes gave ‘Ali’ not just a stage, but it gave Bangladeshi cinema recognition on one of the most prestigious platforms in the world. It proves that our stories rooted in local soil can resonate universally. And that, for me, is the true reward.Films from Bangladesh have been drawing international attention. Can you sum up the current scenario?Bangladeshi cinema is at a crossroads. On one hand, the mainstream industry is struggling with sustainability, but it is also making gradual progress. On the other hand, a new generation of filmmakers is creating deeply personal and socially engaged stories that are reaching audiences worldwide. There is a sense of renewal. Yes, challenges remain with funding, infrastructure but there is also genuine hope.In a social media post, you talked about people of South Asia telling stories of the region. What kind of stories would you like to tell personally?Story continues below this adI have so many questions I want to ask the world. Personally, I want to tell stories that are rooted but universal. Human stories that explore contradictions, silences, and resilience. Deeply personal stories are my natural way of storytelling, because they create connections that go beyond geography.Can you name some recent films from South Asia that have impressed you? Anything from India?There are so many. But the last Indian film that truly moved me was Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’. It’s one of the most poetic and quietly powerful films I’ve seen in recent years.