Lost Land (film)

Lost Land
International promotional poster
RohingyaHarà Watan
Directed byAkio Fujimoto
Written byAkio Fujimoto
Produced by
  • Kazutaka Watanabe
  • Angèle de Lorme
  • Sujauddin Karimuddin
  • Elise Shick
  • Christian Jilka
Starring
  • Shomira Rias
  • Uddin Muhammad
  • Shofik Rias Uddin
CinematographyYoshio Kitagawa
Music byErnst Reijseger
Production
companies
  • Cinemata
  • Cineric Creative
  • Dongyu Club
  • E.x.N K.K.
  • Elom Initiatives
  • KinemaTowards
  • Panorama Films
  • Scarlet Visions
Distributed byArizona Distribution (France)
Release dates
  • 1 September 2025 (2025-09-01) (Venice)
  • 25 March 2026 (2026-03-25) (France)
Running time
99 minutes
Countries
  • Japan
  • France
  • Malaysia
  • Germany
Languages
  • Rohingya
  • Malay

Lost Land (Rohingya: Harà Watan) is 2025 drama film written and directed by Akio Fujimoto. It follows four-year-old Shafi and his nine-year-old sister Somira, Rohingya refugees, who embark on a perilous journey from a refugee camp in Bangladesh to Malaysia to reunite with their family.[1][2][3]

The film had its world premiere at the Orizzonti section of 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 1 September 2025, where it won the Special Jury Prize.[4][5]

Cast

  • Shomira Rias as Somira
  • Uddin Muhammad
  • Shofik Rias Uddin as Shafi

Production

The film was made in the Rohingya language and includes over 200 Rohingya people, with a brother and sister in the main roles. Many of them had lived through experiences like the ones shown in the film, even though they are not professional actors.[6][7]

In October 2024, the film won The LAVAlabs Moving Images Award for €10,000 worth of visual effects at seventh edition of European Work in Progress Cologne.[8]

Release

Lost Land premiered on September 1, 2025, in the Orizzonti program of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.[9] It competed at the International Film Festival War on Screen on October 10, 2025.[10][11]

It was also screened on October 13, 2025 at the Bangkok International Film Festival in the Main Competition,[12] and in International Perspective at the São Paulo International Film Festival on 19 October 2025.[13]

The film had its Japanese Premiere at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival on October 30, 2025 in Nippon Cinema Now.[14][15]

It was screened in Open Horizons section at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival on 30 October 2025,[16] and had its Singapore Premiere in the Standpoint of the 36th Singapore International Film Festival on 29 November 2025.[17][18]

The film competed in the 20th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival on 30 November 2025[19] and then in the Red Sea: Competition strand at the Red Sea International Film Festival and had screening on 10 December 2025.[20][21] It won the Best Film award (Golden Yusr Best Feature Film) at the festival.[22]

The world sales rights of the film were acquired by Rediance Films.[23]

The film is scheduled for release in the French theaters on March 25, 2026 by Arizona Distribution.[24][25]

Reception

David Katz’s of Cineuropa reviewing at Venice International Film Festival praised the film for its emotional depth and storytelling. He highlighted the use of "on-screen chapter headings written in child-like handwriting" that track the children’s perilous journey, capturing both their vulnerability and resilience. Katz commended the director's subtle exposition through adult characters, which naturally revealed the geopolitical backdrop.

Cinematographer Yoshio Kitagawa received special praise for creating a film-like analogue aesthetic digitally, with "camera mobility and judicious image grain" reminiscent of 16 mm film. Katz concluded that "Despite potential audience fatigue with refugee narratives," the film earned "academic credence" for its portrayal of the Rohingya experience, while also offering "hard-won lyricism from its tale of young souls seeking salvation."[26]

Accolades

Award Date Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Venice International Film Festival 6 September 2025 Orizzonti: Special Jury Prize Lost Land Won [27][28]
Pingyao International Film Festival 30 September 2025 Roberto Rossellini Award Nominated [29]
Crouching Tigers - Best Film Nominated [30]
Asia Pacific Screen Awards 27 November 2025 Best Director Akio Fujimoto Nominated [31][32]
Jury Grand Prize Akio Fujimoto and Kazutaka Watanabe Won
Red Sea International Film Festival 13 December 2025 Golden Yusr Best Feature Film Lost Land Won [33]

References

  1. ^ Fujimoto, Akio (September 1, 2025). "Lost Land". Cineuropa. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  2. ^ "Lost Land". Tokyo International Film Festival. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  3. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2025 | Harà Watan (Lost Land)". La Biennale di Venezia. July 16, 2025. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  4. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2025 | Official awards of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival". La Biennale di Venezia. September 6, 2025. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  5. ^ Scarpa, Vittoria (July 22, 2025). "Venice's Orizzonti boasts welcome returns and promising debut features". Cineuropa. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  6. ^ Naman Ramachandran (August 27, 2025). "Venice Entry 'Lost Land' Trailer Reveals Harrowing Rohingya Refugee Journey Through Children's Eyes (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  7. ^ Boyd Van Hoeij (September 1, 2025). "'Lost Land' review: Two young siblings from Myanmar journey alone in search of a better life". ScreenDaily. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  8. ^ Popp, Olivia (October 24, 2024). "European Work in Progress hands out its awards". Cineuropa. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  9. ^ Shafer, Nick Vivarelli,Ellise (July 22, 2025). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Bugonia' With Emma Stone, Benny Safdie's 'Smashing Machine,' Luca Guadagnino's 'After the Hunt' and More". Variety. Retrieved October 18, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (October 1, 2025). "War on Screen places conflict under the microscope of film". Cineuropa. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  11. ^ "Lost Land". War on Screen. October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  12. ^ "Lost Land". Bangkok International Film Festival. October 13, 2025. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  13. ^ "Lost Land". São Paulo International Film Festival. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  14. ^ Shackleton, Liz (October 1, 2025). "Tokyo Film Festival Unveils Competition Line-Up With World Premieres From Rithy Panh, Amos Gitai, Chong Keat Aun & Zhang Lu". Deadline. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  15. ^ Naman Ramachandran (October 1, 2025). "Fan Bingbing's 'Mother Bhumi,' Zhang Ziyi's 'She Has No Name' Among Selections as Tokyo Film Festival Unveils Full Lineup". Variety. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  16. ^ "Lost Land". Thessaloniki International Film Festival. October 23, 2025. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  17. ^ "Lost Land". Singapore International Film Festival. October 23, 2025. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  18. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (October 23, 2025). "Shu Qi's 'Girl' to Open Singapore Film Festival, Deepa Mehta and Youn Yuh-jung Receive Honors". Variety. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  19. ^ "Lost Land". Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  20. ^ "Lost Land". Red Sea International Film Festival. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  21. ^ Salwa, Ola (November 6, 2025). "The fifth Red Sea International Film Festival announces its full line-up". Cineuropa. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  22. ^ "রোহিঙ্গাদের গল্পের 'লস্ট ল্যান্ড' সিনেমা জেদ্দায়, জিতল ১ কোটি ২২ লাখ টাকা" [Rohingya story movie 'Lost Land' wins Tk 1.22 crore in Jeddah]. The Delta Lens (in Bengali). Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  23. ^ Silvia Wong (August 19, 2025). "Rohingya-language Venice premiere 'Lost Land' sets world sales with Rediance". ScreenDaily. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  24. ^ "Les Fleurs du manguier" [Mango Tree Flowers]. Arizona Distribution (in French). Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  25. ^ "Les Fleurs du manguier" [Mango Tree Flowers]. AlloCiné (in French). July 14, 2025. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  26. ^ Katz, David (September 3, 2025). "Review: Lost Land". Cineuropa. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  27. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (September 6, 2025). "Venice Film Festival – Jim Jarmusch's 'Father Mother Sister Brother' Is Golden Lion Winner; 'Voice Of Hind Rajab' Takes Grand Jury Prize; Benny Safdie Best Director For 'The Smashing Machine'". Deadline. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  28. ^ Scarpa, Vittoria (September 6, 2025). "Jim Jarmusch wins Venice's Golden Lion for Father Mother Sister Brother". Cineuropa. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  29. ^ Shackleton, Liz (September 17, 2025). "'My Father's Shadow', 'Lost Land' & 'The President's Cake' Among Pingyao Film Festival's Crouching Tigers Entries". Deadline. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  30. ^ Michael Rosser (September 18, 2025). "Pingyao film festival reveals 2025 lineup of Crouching Tigers, Hidden Dragons". ScreenDaily. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  31. ^ Naman Ramachandran (October 14, 2025). "'Samsara,' 'It Was Just an Accident,' 'Magellan' Lead Asia Pacific Screen Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  32. ^ Keast, Jackie (November 28, 2025). "'It Was Just an Accident' takes home Best Film at Asia Pacific Screen Awards". IF Magazine. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  33. ^ Salwa, Ola (December 12, 2025). "Lost Land and All That's Left of You triumph at the fifth Red Sea International Film Festival". Cineuropa. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
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