The Apu Trilogy

Festivalgoers have a prime chance to see the monumental trilogy by Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray as it has never been seen before, restored in 4K. It is slated for a re-release in theatres by Les Acacias and on video by Carlotta Films.

© Les Acacias

Satyajit Ray was born in Calcutta in 1921 into a wealthy intellectual family. At the age of 25, he founded the Calcutta Film Society, India’s first cinema club. In 1950, he also attended the filming of Jean Renoir's The River, which proved to be a pivotal experience. A few years later, after facing many obstacles, very limited resources and extended interruptions in shooting, he directed his first film, Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road), with a greatly reduced crew. This first instalment of the Apu Trilogy would be compared to Italian neo-realism. Most importantly, it brought Indian cinema and one of its greatest auteurs to the forefront. The film of Ray’s directorial début was selected for the Cannes Film Festival. The trilogy has since become a landmark in the history of world cinema.

A great fan of the trilogy, Wes Anderson, a guest of honour at Lumière 2023, will introduce Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road) on Monday, 16 October at 2.45pm at the Lumière Institute.

The 4K restoration was carried out by the Criterion Collection in collaboration with the Academy Film Archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with the support of L'Immagine Ritrovata

The film will be re-released in theatres by Les Acacias (6 December 2023) and on video by Carlotta Films.

Our thanks to Acacias

Screenings

Pather Panchali by Satyajit Ray (1955, 2h05) / Label Lumière Classics 2023
Young Apu, from a very poor family in Bengal, sees his father leave in search of a new job to be able to provide for them... An eloquent, universal and lyrical film and a chronicle of everyday life in rural India.
Lumière Terreaux Sun 15 7:15pm | Institut Lumière (Hangar) Mon 16 2:45pm

Aparajito by Satyajit Ray (1956, 1h50) / Label Lumière Classics 2023
From his life in the big city of Benares to his return to his native village, Apu grows up between personal desires and family duty, between modernity and tradition... The second opus in the Apu Trilogy, which won the Golden Lion at Venice, is a moving tale with splendid cinematography.
UGC Astoria Wed 18 5:30pm | Pathé Bellecour Thu 19 11:15am

The World of Apu by Satyajit Ray (Apur Sansar, 1959, 1h45) / Label Lumière Classics 2023
After the dramatic events of his past, Apu's life is about to take a lasting and unexpected turn when he is persuaded to attend the wedding of a friend’s cousin... Satyajit Ray, with infinite delicacy, adds the final touch to his masterpiece on the human condition.
UGC Astoria Fri 20 4:15pm | Lumière Terreaux Sat 21 11am