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EntertainmentPosted at: May 12 2025 12:42PM


Three Indian movies in official selection at Cannes fest beginning tomorrow

Cannes, May 12 (UNI) A restored Satyajit Ray from the 1970s is the highlight of Indian cinema's participation at the 78th Cannes Film Festival beginning on Tuesday.
Ray's 'Aranyer Din Ratri' (Days And Nights In The Forest) is part of the Cannes Classics programme that celebrates film heritage across the world. Restored in collaboration between American director Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation, Film Heritage Foundation from India and the Criterion Collection, 'Aranyer Din Ratri' tells the story of four friends seeking solace in a forest while questioning their mundane city life.
French feature film, 'Leave One Day' (Partir Un Jour) by debutante director Amélie Bonnin, will open the festival on May 13 with the Who's Who of the global film industry in attendance at the French Riviera.
Indian cinema is represented at the Cannes festival by 'Aranyer Din Ratri', Mumbai-based filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound' and 'A Doll Made Up of Clay' in the film school competition.
'Homebound', Ghaywan's second feature film after the award-winning 'Masaan', is an official selection in the festival's Un Certain Regard section that celebrates fresh voices in world cinema. The film tells the story of two friends (Ishan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa) from a North Indian village pursuing police jobs seeking dignity.
Ghaywan's debut film, 'Masaan', shot in the ghats of Varanasi, had won the Cannes festival's Most Promising Future Prize in Un Certain Regard section in 2015. The film had also won the International Film Critics' Prize in the same section.
'A Doll Made Up of Clay' is a production of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata. Directed by SRFTI's international student Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay, the 24-minute short film is about the struggles of African footballers in Kolkata.
'A Doll Made Up of Clay' is part of La Cinef, Cannes festival's competitive section for film schools around the world.
The world premiere of the restored version of Ray's 'Aranyer Din Ratri' will be attended by actor Sharmila Tagore, who plays one of the four friends in the film.
The 4K restoration was completed using the original camera and sound negative preserved by the Kolkata-based producers of the film. The world premiere will also be attended by celebrated American director Wes Anderson, a member of the board of the Film Foundation.
This is the fourth successive year for Indian cinema in the Cannes Classics section. In 2022, a restored version of Malayalam director G Aravindan's ‘Thampu’ was screened in Cannes, followed by Manipur director Aribam Syam Sharma’s ‘Ishanou’ in 2023 and Shyam Benegal’s ‘Manthan’ last year.
“Working on the restoration of Satyajit Ray’s 'Aranyer Din Ratri' has been an incredibly moving experience," says Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director of the Film Heritage Foundation. "Seeing the film's beauty and artistry revitalized after 56 years – from its haunting score and the captivating chemistry of its cast, to the unforgettable grace of Sharmila Tagore and Ray's sensitive portrayal of the Santhal tribals – has been a true privilege," he adds.
"'Aranyer Din Ratri' is such a contemporary film that I know it will resonate with new audiences across the world even today," says Sharmila Tagore.
The major highlights of the Cannes festival this year include Iranian director Jafar Panahi's 'A Simple Accident', Scottish filmmaker Lynn Ramsay's 'Die My Love', American director Wes Anderson's 'The Phoenician Scheme' and Ukrainian filmmaker Sergie Loznitsa's 'Two Prosecutors', a historical drama set in the Stalin era.
The festival will also witness the directorial debuts of American actors Scarlett Johansson ('Eleanor The Great') and Kristen Stewart ('The Chronology of Water') and British actor Harris Dickinson ('Urchin').
Other major filmmakers in official selection this year include German filmmaker Fatih Akin ('Amrum'), Filipino director Lav Diaz ('Magalhaes') and Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov ('The Disappearance of Josef Mengele').
The Indian pavilion in the Cannes Film Market will be inaugurated on May 14. The Cannes Film Festival runs up to May 24.
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