Kamar Ahmad Simon's „Are You Listening!”, although 10 years old, sadly remains a timely depiction and warning of what climate crisis has in store for the underprivileged. With mass floods becoming a bane of low-lying countries or territories prone to freak weather conditions (Pakistan being the most extreme example this year), the Bangladeshi documentary captures the helplessness and drama the climate catastrophes entail. What the film impresses with the most, is capturing the apocalypse on the micro scale, with one family at the heart of the narrative.
“Are You Listening!” captures the tragedy as it unfolds, with the hand-held camera closely following the family members trying to piece their lives together. With the very simple, direct style (no voice-over, little to no sound effects or music, only rudimentary editing) the film is a raw recording of the reality post-cyclone Aila in 2009. With $1bn of caused damages, the natural disaster was only one of many recurring events tormenting Bangladesh during the monsoon season. The country is nicknamed as “the ground zero for climate crisis” for a reason. With 75% of Bangladesh's area sitting below the sea level, it is primed to be one of the regions most significantly affected by global warming. As always, statistics only tell part of the story – “Are You Listening!” helps in understanding the gravity of the situation, and the helplessness of its characters.
The film was screened again this year at DOK Leipzig Film Festival, 10 years after it first premiered at the same event.
