This film is part of Free
Indian Scenes
Remarkable early documentary turning the camera on life in Kolkata and Mumbai
Overview
This is, for 1906, a strikingly ambitious proto-documentary travelogue filmed in and around the cities now called Kolkata and Mumbai. It's full of precious, occasionally startling images, from an extended 'phantom ride' down busy Calcutta streets to thronging port life, street trading, even the cremation of a human body and the ritual decapitation of lamb on a Bombay street - a scenes some viewers will find upsetting.
This is a French production but like many of the 'exotic' travel films so popular in early cinema it travelled widely itself – hence this version, with English language intertitles.
Related
Boat Repairs - Sunderbans Boat Repairs - Sunderbans
Amateur film 1935 11 mins Silent
Stunning colour footage showing colonial life in the hills of Assam and bustling activity on the lakes below
Devil Dancers of Sikkim Devil Dancers of Sikkim
Travelogue 1934 9 mins
Hear the Lama band, see the sacred dances: welcome to Sikkim, in the shadow of the Himalayas.
Sir John Laing Missionary Films Calcutta, Darjeeling & Bihar Sir John Laing Missionary Films Calcutta, Darjeeling & Bihar
Amateur film 1947 12 mins Silent
Rare amateur footage of East India
Darjeeling: A Foothill Town Darjeeling: A Foothill Town
Travelogue 1934 10 mins
Evocative travelogue exploring life at the foot of the Himalayas, including tea gardens and a Buddhist shrine
Panorama of Calcutta, India, From the River Ganges. Panorama of Calcutta, India, From the River Ganges.
Non-Fiction 1899 2 mins Silent
One of the earliest films to be shot in India apparently shows the Calcutta ghats - or does it?
Scenes at his Excellency the Viceroys's Garden Party at Belvedere Scenes at his Excellency the Viceroys's Garden Party at Belvedere
Non-Fiction 1926 6 mins Silent
Indian high society enjoy themselves at a Calcutta garden party held to welcome the new Viceroy, Lord Irwin.
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Blades Blades
Drama 2023 2 mins
A group of young Black boys run into a building. One of them is about to do the unimaginable.
We Collide We Collide
Romance 2023 2 mins
A queercore romance - a visceral and immersive exploration of the power of the mosh pit and finding love in the most unlikely of places.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.