German cultural institution Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and HerStory Foundation are jointly initiating a co-creation project titled 'The Myth Bridge,' bringing together a group of Bangladeshi and German participants to write a modern-day myth by playing out selected legendary heroines.
The game will be played over the course of four-days in Dhaka and is based on Dungeons & Dragons. The game sessions, held at the Goethe-Institut from May 12-15 will be directed by Game Master, Wasi Noor Azam.
Regarding the unique venture, organizers said that 'The Myth Bridge' connects nine female characters from German and Bengali folklore, brought to life, across space and time, through a live-action simulation. The initiative involves a group of writers, illustrators, editors and translators and will result in a publication of the modern-day feminist myth and exhibition both in the digital and physical realms, according to the organisers.
On Sunday, May 15 the finale of 'The Myth Bridge' game will be played to a live audience.
According to Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and HerStory Foundation, this is going to be the first live Dungeons & Dragons game in Bangladesh.
The event is open to all upon registration on the FB event page. Players will act out the final act of the story, bringing their adventure to an end.
In the following months the editors and creative director will work to create a short graphic novel out of the events of the 4-day game. The final outcome of 'The Myth Bridge' project will be published for the Dhaka Lit Fest in early 2023.
In the live action game, Sayeef Mahmud will play BON BIBI, Kazi Istela Imam will play CHADER BURI, Akramul Momen will play BEHULA, Saad Z Hossain will play BIBI MAA, and Salzar Rahman will play THE FOX from Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Lina Ehrentraut will play BRUNHILDE, Maki Shimizu will play REPUNZEL, Mia Sophie Oberländer will play FRAU PRECHTA, and Malwine Stauss will play SCHNEEWITTEN (Snow White) from Germany.
As legends and folklore are told and spread across generations, the stories manifest themselves into worlds in 'The Myth Bridge.' According to the organisers, 'The Myth Bridge' is a reality that hosts stories where the characters come to life.
Each world created in the Myth Bridge is a story of its own, and the more the story is told the more bridges it has to connect itself with the rest of 'The Myth Bridge.'
Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop role-playing game made all the way back in the 1970s.
Players create or choose a character and go through a fantasy themed adventure where the game can stretch as far as the imagination can go. The deciding factor of the outcome of the game is up to the imagination and ingenuity of the players, and of course, their luck with the polyhedral dice.
