Film Night - Pather Panchali

south west | media and culture | event notice Tuesday August 26, 2008 11:57 by Nick Thomas - The Pierian Centre info at pieriancentre dot com The Pierian Centre, 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA 0117 924 4512

The first film in Satyajit Ray’s fabled “Apu” trilogy.

The Pierian Centre’s monthly Film Night brings you a classic of world cinema. On Sunday 31st August we’re showing Pather Panchali, a film described on its release as "one of the most stunning first films in movie history” (Newsweek).

The young Apu

Pather Panchali is the first instalment in Satyajit Ray’s “Apu” trilogy – and follows the childhood in rural Bengal of a young boy and his sister. Ray made it on a shoe-string with an amateur cast, part-funding it by pawning his wife's jewellery. But its release in 1955 established Ray’s reputation and opened the eyes of the world to a cinema of rich humanity.

"One of the greatest pictures ever made" was The Observer’s verdict – and our screening of Pather Panchali is an opportunity not just to see this great film, but to set it in context. The evening will be introduced by Bristol-based film-maker Dilesh Korya, who will provide background and will lead discussion afterwards. Dilesh is a director and editor who has made several short films such as Sari, and The Story of Mai Van Thong, a drama/documentary shown on HTV. We will be showing the rest of the trilogy in the coming months, following the course of Apu’s adolescence and manhood.

Pather Panchali is a world away from the melodrama of Bollywood. It’s a poetic film and comes with a glorious Ravi Shankar sitar score, but it’s one of the pillars of neo-realist cinema. Its impact is of great simplicity with tremendous depth and resonance. “A luminous, transcendental masterpiece” The Guardian recently called it.

The screening is on Sunday 31st August. The bar opens at 7pm for drinks & light refreshments – and Pather Panchali is shown at 7.30pm. Tickets are £4.50 (concs for those who need them). For booking & more information contact 0117 924 4512 or info@pieriancentre.com. The Pierian Centre is at 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA – with free parking right outside. www.pieriancentre.com

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