Director: Shivendra Singh Dungarpur
We celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema, yet we're little aware of the man who painstakingly restored Dadasaheb Phalke's work as well as several other silent pictures and talkies, and then built our country's moving pictures archive, one film can at a time. The documentary 'Celluloid Man', directed by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, introduces us to that man Paramesh Krishnan Nair, or PK Nair - India's film archivist who dedicated his life's work to preserve our history. As far back as 1969, Nair rode overnight in a newspaper van to Nasik to collect Phalke's film reels from his son, then slowly pieced the scenes in order from studying notes that Phalke had scribbled in an old diary. 'Celluloid Man' celebrates his unstinting devotion to archiving.. and through Nair's story we journey through a celebration of Indian cinema.
Early on during the film you realize this is story of an extraordinary man, a film hero. PK Nair, during his stint at the FTII in Pune, realized the invaluable need for an archive and went about setting one up during his career. From visits to forgotten studios, scouring through junkyard shops and bartering with international film archives, Nair set up a treasure trove of moving pictures. He was careful not to discriminate on the contents of the film; Nair was clear that as an archivist, it was important that all works of cinema be seen, and by everyone. This is illustrated in a beautiful sequence in
11:33 PM, May 03, 2013
In feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director - Alfred Hitchcock. With due respect to Alfred Hitchcock's ideas, I dare say that here is a documentary which is far more relevant and heavier in content than most of the feature films where god is not the director. In fact, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur's National Award winning documentary 'Celluloid Man' is a film appreciation course in...
11:36 AM, May 03, 2013
John Charles Upton Jr., 56, was found dead Thursday on a dirt path in the yard of his Encinitas home. ...
11:00 AM, Mar 30, 2013
Tiwari is looking for a Korean actor to play the role of the 'father' in his next film. ...
03:31 PM, Mar 29, 2013
Today is International Women's Day. In spite of being in the middle of a three-day international Shakespeare seminar, when CNN-IBN asked me to do a ...
01:52 PM, Mar 08, 2013
The international documentary and short film festival 'Signs,' being conducted by the Federation of Film Societies of India, would begin here from February 10. ...
09:54 AM, Feb 06, 2013
Nagpur: 'Bitter Seeds', a documentary film produced by US-based filmmaker Micha Peled on the agrarian crisis of cotton growers and their plight, is being shown in Vidarbha region. "Every 30 minutes, a farmer in the country kills himself in despair because he no longer can provide for his family. The documentary film takes the viewers to a village at the centre of suicide crisis region in Vidarbha to explore what's...
05:17 PM, Nov 16, 2012
Mumbai: Bond documentary 'Everything Or Nothing', made to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of 007 films, will be premiered at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival. The new feature film 'Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007' is produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Passion Pictures and Red Box Films. It will be shown on October 19. The limited-release critically-acclaimed documentary has only been released in the UK so far. Directed...
03:53 PM, Oct 16, 2012
Los Angeles: Hollywood star Brad Pitt is not into drugs anymore, but says he can still get his hands on anything he wants. The 48-year-old opened up about his former marijuana habit earlier this year, and is no longer suffering the addiction. However, he admits he can arrange any drugs anywhere within 24 hours. "My drugs days are long since passed but it's certainly true that I could probably land...
03:16 PM, Oct 14, 2012
Los Angeles: The fright flick The Possession has scared up a No. 1 debut with $17.7 million over the long Labor Day weekend. The Lionsgate release led the last weekend of a fairly quiet season for Hollywood, with attendance down 4 percent from summer 2011, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com. Opening in second-place with $9.7 million was the Weinstein Co. bootlegging drama Lawless, starring Shia LaBeouf. The Expendables 2 pulled...
11:44 AM, Sep 03, 2012
New Delhi: Faith is an integral part of the Indian culture but did you know that a section of homeless people eke out their daily living from the modest coins dropped as offerings into the Yamuna river? A nearly 22 minute-long documentary titled 'In Search of Destiny (Coin Divers)' by Aakash Arun attempts to throw light into the lives of coin divers numbering around 400-500 and living near the much...
04:40 PM, Aug 23, 2012
Mumbai: National anthems worldwide often become ritualised with its adherents paying little attention to the words or their underlying meaning. As India prepares to celebrate its 65th Independence Day Wednesday, a new documentary seeks to search for the essence of the country's national anthem. "Bharat Bhagya Vidhataa: The Architects of India's Destiny" is filmmaker Shashi Vyas's way to 'explore the spirit' of the Indian national anthem. It will hold its...
01:11 PM, Aug 14, 2012
Los Angeles: U.S. cable channel HBO will air a new documentary about The Rolling Stones this fall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the British rock band. HBO programming president Michael Lombardo told journalists that the documentary, which has no title yet, was being directed by Brett Morgan. "This is all done as part of the band's 50th anniversary. This documentary has the full involvement of the four current band...
12:42 PM, Aug 02, 2012
Thiruvananthapuram :Around 100 short films and documentaries would vie for honours under different categories in the competition section of the Fifth International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala(IDSFFK-2012), to be held here from June 8 to 12. The films, chosen from among 620 entries, will be screened in six categories in the competition section, according to sources at the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, organisers of the event. Short films...
12:34 PM, May 24, 2012
New York: The Bob Marley documentary 'Marley' will stream on Facebook simultaneously during its theatrical opening, a signal that social media may also play a role in shifting movie release windows. Such day-and-date releases have become increasingly common in recent years for smaller independent films. But this will be the first such US film to stream concurrently on the social media behemoth while opening in theaters. The film, directed by...
05:01 PM, Apr 12, 2012
The new Bob Marley documentary is a tribute by the legendary star's family and friends. ...
10:46 AM, Apr 11, 2012
New Delhi: Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy won the Oscars for the Best Documentary (Short Subject) - 'Saving Face'. 'Saving Face' tells the stories of two acid-attack survivors - Zakia and Rukhsana, their arduous attempts to bring their assailants to justice, and the charitable work of London-based, Pakistani-born plastic surgeon Dr Mohammad Jawad, who strives to help these women put this horrific act behind them and move on with their...
02:36 PM, Feb 27, 2012
New Delhi: 'Saving Face' the documentary on the rehabilitation of acid attack victims in Pakistan won the Best Documentary (Short Subject)at the Oscars. 'Saving Face' tells the stories of two acid-attack survivors - Zakia and Rukhsana, their arduous attempts to bring their assailants to justice, and the charitable work of London-based, Pakistani-born plastic surgeon Dr Mohammad Jawad, who strives to help these women put this horrific act behind them and...
02:21 PM, Feb 27, 2012
Los Angeles: Pakistani documentary film 'Saving Face', which uncovers the story of hundreds of people, mostly women who become acid attack victims, was honoured with the Oscar award for best documentary (short) at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony here. Directed by Daniel Junge and Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, 'Saving Face' follows several survivors, and narrates the tale of their fight for justice, and a Pakistani plastic surgeon who has returned...
02:21 PM, Feb 27, 2012
New Delhi: Bob Marley's universal appeal, impact on music history and role as a social and political prophet is both unique and unparalleled. 'Marley' is the definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, and legend, from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. Made with the support of the Marley family, the film features rare footage, incredible performances and revelatory interviews with the people that knew him best....
01:45 PM, Feb 18, 2012
