Two Documentary Films on the July Mass Uprising

Drishya Karkhana invites you to a two-day screening program featuring two documentary films on the July Mass Uprising.

35th July – Bangladesh’s Deadly Protest (2025, 25 min), directed by Elizabeth D. Costa, is an observational documentary following a photojournalist through one of the uprising’s most intense days.

July Diaries (2025, 60 min), directed by Likhon Datta, a third-year student at the University of Chittagong, is a crowdfunded documentary made with fellow students that captures the experiences and memories of the uprising from the perspective of those who lived through it.

Screening Schedule:

Friday, 31 July 2026 | 7:00 PM

35th July (2025, 25 min) — Directed by Elizabeth D. Costa

Followed by an online Q&A with the director.

Saturday, 1 August 2026 | 7:00 PM

July Diaries (2026, 60 min) — Directed by Likhon Datta

Followed by an in-person Q&A with the director.

About the Filmmaker

Elizabeth D. Costa

Elizabeth D. Costa is rapidly emerging as one of Bangladesh’s most exciting young directors. As a Bangladeshi born and raised one of the few Christian minority she has over 10 years of experience. Her first feature doc Bangla Surf Girls was selected for the Chicken & Egg 2017 Accelerator Lab and successfully pitched in the Deal Makers forum at Hot Docs 2017. Elizabeth was also selected to IDFA academy in 2017. She began her career as a script supervisor with the acclaimed Bangladeshi filmmakers Tareque and Catherine Masud. She has directed/produced television shows and worked in several short films for a range of media outlets including BBC Media Action, NOS News, ViceNews UK, Bloomberg TV, and also worked as line producer for Academy awarded, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s doc A Journey of Thousand Miles. From 2016 to 2017, Elizabeth worked as communications advisor for UNDP Bangladesh. Elizabeth has MA in Filmmaking.

Likhon Datta

Likhon Datta is a third-year English student at the University of Chittagong and an emerging filmmaker. His debut feature-length documentary, July Diaries, was produced independently through crowdfunding and collaborative efforts by young filmmakers and students across Bangladesh.

35th July – Bangladesh’s Deadly Protest

Director: Elizabeth D. Costa

Country: Bangladesh

Year: 2025

Runtime: 25 minutes

Time: Friday, 31 July 2026 | 7:00 PM

Synopsis: No one knew this day, August 4, 2024, would be the last day of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule in Bangladesh. After peaceful student protests against a quota system for government jobs turned deadly in mid-July, a communications blackout was imposed by authorities. As it lifted more than a week later, the student protests persisted and a nationwide movement emerged.

Documenting the protests from all sides is tireless and courageous photojournalist, Jibon Ahmed. As the days of July extend beyond the month’s calendar end to reclaim those disappeared in a countdown for justice, Ahmed documents events on August 4, providing a firsthand account of what became known as Bangladesh’s 35th July.

July Diaries

Director: Likhon Datta

Country: Bangladesh

Year: 2026

Runtime: 60 minutes

Time: Friday, 01 August 2026 | 7:00 PM

Synopsis: The most significant narratives of history are, in most cases, shaped not from the centers of power, but from the stories of participation, sacrifice, and emotion of ordinary people.

This time, July Diaries sets out to capture the story of July through the eyes of the people. A feature-length documentary based on the July Mass Uprising in Bangladesh, the film has been produced beyond the patronage of any individual, institution, or political party. Initiated by a group of students from the University of Chittagong, the production has brought together countless young men and women from different parts of the country, both in front of and behind the camera. Every stage of this documentary has been completed through voluntary effort and the support of countless well-wishers. The filmmakers’ goal was to create an independent film whose narrative would remain free from the influence of any single patron or center of power.