Canonical Film Hub
Learning to Drive in Birmingham
Laisul, a Bangladeshi immigrant now living in the UK, attempts to navigate Birmingham through driving lessons, conversations in cars, and phone calls from home. Filmed inside vehicles and among construction sites, blocked roads, and sprawling South Asian neighbourhoods on the city’s outskirts, the work reflects on mobility, belonging, and displacement, while offering a glimpse into the lives of Bangladeshi communities who have made Birmingham their home. As the artist learns to drive in a city seemingly built around cars, encounters with friends, driving instructors, and archival traces of Bangladeshi political figures reveal Birmingham’s deep connections to Bangladesh and its diaspora. Moving between intimate conversations and urban observation, the film unfolds as a portrait of a city in transition, where personal experiences intersect with migration, infrastructure, and histories that continue to travel between Birmingham and Bangladesh.
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