Pather Panchali

Director: Satyajit Ray
Starring: Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Bannerjee, Chunibala Devi, Uma Das Gupta, Subir Banerjee
Run time: 125 mins | Recommended Certificate: U
Language: Bengali with English subtitles | Year: 1955 | Country: India

We are delighted to present an introductory talk, “Satyajit Ray and his French Connection”, before our screening of Pather Panchali by writer Andrew Robinson, who is considered one of the world’s greatest authorities on Satyajit Ray, and has written extensively on Ray and his Apu Trilogy in books and the international press. Robinson will explore Ray’s lesser-known close connection with French artists including filmmaker Jean Renoir and photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, as well as provide an insight into Ray’s background, films and the making of Pather Panchali. Andrew Robinson will publish a centenary edition of Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye with Bloomsbury in September.

Probably Satyajit Ray’s most internationally acclaimed film. The Song of the Little Road as it is known in English, is based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s 1929 Bengali novel of the same name. It depicts the childhood joys and struggles of the main protagonist Apu (Subir Banerjee), and his sister Durga (Uma Das Gupta), as they encounter both the beauty of the Bengali countryside, and also the cruel hardships of being the poor family of the village, after their father deserts them. This classic boasts magical cinematography by Subrata Mitra and an unforgettable musical score by Ravi Shankar.

Film Screenings