Calcutta

Documentary depicting the lives of child prostitutes in the red light district of Songachi, Calcutta. Director Zana Briski went to photograph the prostitutes when she met and became friends with their children. Briski began giving photography lessons to the children and became aware that their photography might be a way for them to lead better lives.

Lord Lytton takes up the post of Governor of Bengal.

Botanical gardens in Bombay plus the highly decorative Jain Temple in Calcutta.

Scenes at a garden party given by Earl Lytton, Governor of Bengal, at Government House, Calcutta.

Fashionably attired folk attend the races in Kolkata.

A state welcome for a Handley Page aircraft arriving in Kolkata.

Lady Pamela Lytton, wife of the Governor of Bengal, visits the grand marble Victoria Memorial in Calcutta.

The race is on - for the Viceroy's Cup.

Indian high society enjoy themselves at a Calcutta garden party held to welcome the new Viceroy, Lord Irwin.

The Governor of Bengal and family - on and off duty.

Rare amateur footage of East India.

The future Edward VIII opens a durbar and enjoys a day at the races before inspecting the fire brigade in Calcutta.

A tribute film on Bob Dylan, depicting Calcutta's affinity with Dylan through cityscape and interviews of notable Indian musicians who were inspired by him. The film also draws parallels between Dylan's body of work and the Baul tradition of Bengal.

One of the earliest films to be shot in India apparently shows the Calcutta ghats - or does it?

A documentary portrait of Calcutta

Motorcars take shape - outdoors in a Kolkata yard.

The film is about youngsters and the story of the film revolves around a young sheltered man who suddenly discovers life when he comes out on to the streets one day.

Kanchan, all of eight years old, is always up to pranks and mischief in his village home. He finds his father a cruel demon who keeps his mother oppressed and imprisoned. In his dreams, the big city is El Dorado, until he reaches there.

Apu is a jobless ex-student dreaming vaguely of a future as a writer. An old college friend talks him into a visit up-country to a village wedding. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 1996.

Aparajito picks up where the first film leaves off, with Apu and his family having moved away from the country to live in the bustling holy city of Varanasi (then known as Benares). As Apu progresses from wide-eyed child to intellectually curious teenager, eventually studying in Kolkata, we witness his academic and moral education, as well as the growing complexity of his relationship with his mother. This tenderly expressive, often heart-wrenching film, which won three top prizes at the Venice Film Festival, including the Golden Lion, not only extends but also spiritually deepens the tale of Apu. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 1996.