Six people will make a full room and experience a unique film adventure. Two decades after its original negatives were burned in a fire, Satyajit Ray’s milestone of world cinema rises from the ashes in a meticulously reconstructed new restoration. The Apu Trilogy brought India into the golden age of international art-house film, following one indelible character, a free-spirited child in rural Bengal who matures into an adolescent urban student and finally a sensitive man of the world. These delicate masterworks—Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road), Aparajito (The Unvanquished), and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) based on two books by Bibhutibhusan Banerjee, were shot over the course of five years, and each stands on its own as a tender, visually radiant journey. They are among the most achingly beautiful, richly humane movies ever made – essential works for any film lover. So far, so good, and, honestly, the press text of Criterion comes close to my experience of these three movies. The movies will all be shown during a long day, on October 31, starting at 1 p.m. and ending round midnight. In between, there will be time to eat and drink, fresh made Passaladière from Nice, Osso Buco from Umbria, and some rare cidre from Northern France. People who are interested have to make a booking in a local hotel or a flat with air b‘n‘b – or just travel home after midnight. We habe a beautiful „tiny house“ nearby, and two guest rooms. Reservation should be made fast, and send to my email adress. Confirmation (or kind cancellation) will come within three days. But remember: only six humans, then it’s „sold out“. No extra costs apart from lunch, dinner, and brunch on late Sunday morning. I have, no joke, written a mail to Wim Wenders’ management in regards to a public phone talk on the festival day. Should be a decent extra, and fun. My contribution will be some introductory words to get in the right mood, and some film-related topics like Ravi Shankar’s soundtrack. All three movies are presented in Bengali with English subtitles.
