Retrospective on Murali Nair
Award winning filmmaker Murali Nair was born in the south Indian state of Kerala and learned his craft, working as a production manager with director Pawan Kaul on the TV serial “Chandrakanta” and as an assistant director with renowned filmmaker Mani Kaul. His first short film Tragedy of an Indian Farmer won a National award in 1993. He made two more shorts, Coronations (1995) and A long Journey (1996) which was the first Indian short film in competition at Cannes.
He moved to London in 1997, set up Flying Elephant Films, a production company, and started making programs for British Television, mainly about young people across the world. His first feature film Throne of Death / Marana Simhasanam won him the prestigious Camera d'Or at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1999, and his subsequent films The Story That Begins at the End / Arimpara (2003) and A Dog’s Day / Pattiyude Divasam (2001) have all been screened at Cannes. Unni (2006), which is making its NY Premiere at the 2008 NY Arab & South Asian Film Festival, is his fourth feature. He currently lives in Hyderabad, India and is working on the preproduction of his next feature, Virgin Goat, his first Hindi language film.
Nair’s films deal with the tensions of globalization on traditional and feudal cultures in rural Kerala. Stylistically his films blend elements lyrical neo-realism with wry satire and sometimes even a dash of surrealism and horror. Nair brings a refreshing and unique reworking of various strands of the parallel cinema tradition of Indian cinema, with echoes of Satyajit Ray and Adoor Gopalakrishnan, yet with more playful hints of Luis Buñuel and Kidlat Tahimik.
FREE MASTERCLASS
Wednesday, March 12, 10 am - 2 pm
Open to All
Location: Columbia University, Dodge Hall.
Limited Seats Available! RSVP to info@alwanforthearts.org
All screenings in this program:
Download a printable PDF of the entire schedule
Sunday, March 9, 2008 | ||
3:00 pm - Tribeca Cinemas  |
Unni - Another Story of an Indian Child NY Premiere, suitable for children, Director in Attendance Directed by Murali Nair India / 2006 / 90 mins / 35 mm Program: Retrospective on Murali Nair | |
Monday, March 10, 2008 | ||
6:00 pm - Columbia University (Dodge Hall) |
Throne of Death / Marana Simhasanam Winner of the Camera d’Or at Cannes Film Festival Directed by Murali Nair India / 1999 / 57 mins / 35 mm Program: Retrospective on Murali Nair Story That Begins at the End, A / Arimpara Official Selection, Cannes 2003 - Un Certain Regard, Director in Attendance Directed by Murali Nair India / Japan / 2003 / 90 mins / 35 mm Program: Retrospective on Murali Nair | |
Festival Calendar
Also of Note
Festival Special Events:
The New York Arab & South Asian Film Festival would like to
thank all of the film makers and other creative talents
involved in making this happen for a third year. Most of all,
we would like to thank the participating
audiences, for bearing witness.
See you all next year!
2008 NYASAFF Sponsors & Support, Festival Staff and Core Organizations »