Days and Nights in the Forest (1970)

This film is also showing at our sister cinema, Lido Cinemas

Australian Premiere - 4K Restoration

‘To explain why Days and Nights in the Forest is a masterpiece is a bit like explaining why flowers are beautiful: the film’s glories are so natural and self-evident that describing them feels redundant.’ – Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader

Four young middle-class men from Kolkata venture north-west for a weekend in the forests of neighbouring state Jharkhand, hoping to find respite from their careers and relationships at home. The arrogance and prejudices of these urbanites are tested, however, by their encounters with the people they meet in the forest. Amid a weekend of conversations in which caste, gender and romance are never far from the surface, life emerges in all its depth.

Featuring performances brimming with charm and wit – particularly from Satyajit Ray regulars Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore – that reveal matters of heart and mind, this tale of conflicting virtues has long been somewhat overshadowed by some of its director’s more celebrated works. Yet even amid its more leisurely and seemingly uneventful moments, Ray’s virtuosic flair shines through as brightly as ever.

Introductory speakers will be announced closer to the festival.

Presented in partnership with the Consulate General of India, Melbourne, and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Sydney.

Rating

Unclassified 18+

Duration

116 min

Country

India

Language

Bengali (English subtitles)

Cast

Sharmila Tagore, Kaberi Bose, Simi Garewal, Soumitra Chatterjee, Shubhendu Chatterjee, Rabi Ghosh

Director

Satyajit Ray