Brown Eyes Dream presents stories of Bangladeshi immigrants as they build new lives while
sustaining connections to their homeland. For many, unemployment, corruption, lack of quality
education, and political and social oppression pushed them to leave Bangladesh. In summer
2024, a ruling by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on job quotas sparked student-led uprisings
against the authoritarian Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had been in power for 16 years.
The government’s brutal response left over 1,400 dead and thousands injured, arrested in what
became known as the July Massacre. The government exerted control by shutting down all
communications, including the internet and cell service, slowing information and effectively
crippling the media.
The Bangladeshi diaspora in the United States responded by amplifying the resistance through
mainstream and social media, artworks, demonstrations, halting remittances, and fundraising
for those fighting in the streets to restore democracy. The combination of internal uprising and
external pressure forced Hasina to resign and flee to India.
The film presents henna artist and Kathak dancer Amad Mahbub, who left Bangladesh to escape
social oppression and pursue education in neuroscience. Her journey transforms her into an
artist and uses henna art to stand with her homeland.
In the photo series, Shahab Uddin and Sheikh Nudhar, a young couple who met and married in
the United States. During the uprisings and the communication blackout, they were cut off from
their families and joined the protests. Although they are relieved that the authoritarian
government has fallen, and reform is underway, they believe Bangladesh still offers
uncertainties and few opportunities. They continue to build their lives here.
