Learning to Drive in Birmingham (2026)

A Bangladeshi immigrant navigating life in the UK, Laisul learns to steer through Birmingham—one driving lesson, car chat, and long-distance call at a time. Shot from inside vehicles and across construction zones, blocked streets, and sprawling South Asian enclaves on the city’s edge, the film explores mobility, belonging, and the ache of displacement. It offers an intimate window into the Bangladeshi communities who have turned Birmingham into home. As the artist masters driving in a city engineered for cars, his encounters with friends, instructors, and archival footage of Bangladeshi political figures uncover Birmingham’s deep roots in Bangladesh and its far-flung diaspora. Shifting between quiet conversations and sharp urban observation, the movie paints a portrait of a city in flux—where personal stories collide with migration, infrastructure, and histories that still pulse between Birmingham and Bangladesh.