One of the many consequences of the last century was the innovation of the city. Following the development of the industrial revolution, the modern metropolis was born with cities such as London, New York or Berlin becoming the multi-faceted places they are now, combining living spaces, work places and also various aspects of entertainment. However, as the urban space has expanded, giving birth to ideas such as gentrification, mass unemployment and a class society which has become increasingly obvious from the city's design nowadays, a certain regressive desire has awoken in many people. While this also has problematic consequences, director Mehedi Mostafa contemplates whether it is really a new definition of the city we need, which is a concept at the core of his new short feature “Fantasy Is A Concrete Jungle”.
Fantasy Is A Concrete Jungle screened at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
Supported by a voice-over based on “Silence and Chaos” by architect Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury, the short begins with the longing of the inhabitants of cities such as Dhaka to the place their ancestors come from. Accompanied by various scenes capturing busy city life, as well as daily life in a village, the narration makes the observation of how the concept of the village is now more mythical, perhaps an indicator of a certain longing for a different kind of existence. At the same time, we observe people in search of their own private space within the vast city, even though this specific task proves to be exceptionally difficult considering we never fully leave the public eye.
“Fantasy Is A Concrete Jungle”, as the title indicates, bridges the gap between architecture and philosophy. The thoughts of Chowdhury and the images Mostafa presents seem to stress the idea of searching for a new kind of architecture, which refers to the longing of a spiritually more meaningful connection within the urban (and to some extent even the rural) existence. As we venture further into the narration and the visuals, we cannot help but notice a certain level of estrangement the director wants to address, searching for a solution in the current living situations of people and how we inhabit the urban sphere. Mostafa's thoughts seem abstract at first, and some of the connections hard to grasp at first, but the eventual outcome is quite interesting, or at the very least a thought-provoking contemplation on modern life and how we need to re-invent the places where we live and work.
In the end, “Fantasy Is A Concrete Jungle” is a philosophical essay feature. Mehedi Mostafa combines images and narration, addressing a very pressing modern issue which is the re-invention of our living conditions.
