Bala

Date:: 21 Aug 2024, 19:30–20:05

Age:

Type:

Place:: Cinema

Age restrictions: 18+

A thorough immersion into the world of the traditional Indian dance and its main star. Screening as part of the The Eclipse Corridor. Directed by Satyajit Ray film programme.

1976, Satyajit Ray

India
33 minutes,
English with Russian subtitles

documentary

Satyajit Ray first saw dancer Balasaraswati perform at the age of 14 and was blown away. When he became a director, he set out to make a film dedicated to the world’s greatest performer of traditional Indian dance, Bharatnatyam. This opportunity only came to him in the 1970s, when the heroine was already 58 years old, but the majesty of her performance had not faded.

Shot from Bala, 1976

Satyajit Ray’s Bala remains, to date, perhaps the most fascinating study of the great dancer, a priceless archive for posterity.

— Bhaskar Chattopadhyay, Firstpost

Ray was well aware that not every viewer is familiar with the intricacies of Bharatnatyam, and at the beginning of the film he gives an extensive insight into the history of the ancient national style.

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