Set in a small town in the region of Tamil Nadu, in southern India, the film follows the days and works of a hijra family. Silky, Mahima, Trisha, Durga, Kuyili, Priyanka, Vasundhara and Yamuna, under the firm protection of their guru Lakshmi Ma, deliver snippets of their marginal but sovereign existence. From a millenia-old sacred tradition to getting by every second, "Guru" composes with them a poem of intertwined voices in which the world is a tough playground, where the third gender is primarily the resistance force of a life shared.
A humorous documentary about a historic hunt in 1929 through the African savannah and Indian jungle with lots of animal footage.
Evocative observational scenes of Simla and Lahore, including the gorgeous Shalimar Gardens and Anarkali Bazar.
Amateur footage of Delhi and Jaipur, from a military review to an atmospheric torchlit procession - and some armour-plated elephants.
This amateur film gives us a fair idea of the opulent life enjoyed by members of the British government in India.
Amateur film featuring government buildings in Delhi, a shooting party in Malakand and winter in Abbottabad.
Girl guides on parade at a rally in southern India attended by Olave Baden-Powell.
Luscious colour photography of the Taj Mahal and a Mediterranean cruise to Port Said.
Life in the bustling Punjabi city of Rawalpindi before partition.
This travelogue takes in some of the most important landmarks of Islamic power in India.
Short documentary on India
Amateur film of the passage to India - complete with guest appearance by Gandhi.
Anti-Congress propaganda film made by a District Officer in India.
Amateur film showing daily life in Bundi, India.
Amateur travelogue of the Kagan Valley and Darband, Pakistan.
Varanasi is the Indian city where Hindus go to die. Stretching along the Ganges, Varanasi holds great spiritual significance because Hindu scriptutres say that anyone who dies there will attain moksha—liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Berlin-based director Dan Braga Ulvestad captures life and death in India’s heartland in this moving documentary filled with exquisite cinematic moments. By the River starts its narrative journey with the city’s “death hotels,” dedicated apartments where people wait to die, sometimes for decades, so they can be cremated on the banks of the Ganges.
As part of the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture, the British Council and British Film Institute share a unique collection of films documenting the sights and culture of a bygone India. Filmed between 1899-1947, and preserved in the BFI National Archive since then, these rare films capture many glimpses of life in India, from dances and markets, to hunts and pageantry.
A Suitable Girl follows three young women in India struggling to maintain their identities and follow their dreams amid intense pressure to get married. The film examines the women's complex relationship with marriage, family, and society.
Jahan Jahan Charan Pade Raghuvar Ke (English title: Footprints of Lord Rama in His 14 Years Exile) is a 26-episode documentary web series retracing the 14-year Van Gaman of Lord Shri Ram as described in the Ramayana. The series follows the sacred route from Ayodhya to Lanka, documenting over 200 historically and culturally significant sites across India. Filmed on real locations rather than studio recreations, it captures authentic rivers, forests, caves and ashrams linked to Rama’s exile. The first phase covers Ayodhya, Shringverpur, Prayagraj and Chitrakoot, including Ram Ghat, Kamadgiri, Gupt Godavari, Sharbhanga Ashram, Suteekshan Ashram and Viradh Kund. Upcoming schedules extend through Dandakaranya (Chhattisgarh), Panchvati (Nashik), Kishkindha (Hampi) and Dhanushkodi. Produced by Pomy Films, the series is hosted and directed by international award-winning filmmaker Sunil Babbar, blending spiritual reflection with on-ground historical documentation.
A story to honor actor-singer-activist Paul Robeson and his contributions to today's social climate and inspire new generations to engage in the ongoing fight for justice and equality.