Sunday, August 11, 1:00 p.m. | In 1985, Vincent Canby of the New York Times wrote, “No matter what the particular story, no matter what the social-political circumstances of the characters, Satyajit Ray’s cinema is so exquisitely realized that an entire world is evoked from comparatively limited details." Ray’s lyrical style is beautifully displayed in his first and final films. In PATHER PANCHALI, Satyajit Ray’s moving and perceptive debut and the first film in his Apu Trilogy, impoverished priest Harihar Ray leaves his rural Bengal village in hopes for a better life for his family, leaving his wife Sarbojaya, daughter Durga, and son Apu behind. In THE STRANGER, Anila receives a letter from a man claiming to be her long-lost uncle. When he reunites with her family, his visit raises questions about identity and trust. Brimming with life, Ray’s honest and understated career earned him universal acclaim (Akira Kurosawa observed, “Not to have seen the cinema of Satyajit Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon.”) and an honorary Academy Award, which the director accepted just a month before his death at age 70. 

Related Event: THE STRANGER Sunday, August 11, 3:45 p.m.

Awards & Nominations

Winner - Best Human Document, Cannes Film Festival
Winner - OCIC Award - Special Mention, Cannes Film Festival
Nominee - Palme d'Or, Cannes Film Festival
Winner - Best Non-European Film, Bodil Awards
Nominee - Best Film, BAFTA Awards

Entrances and Exits: With Entrances and Exits, we showcase the first and last films from 10 beloved filmmakers. For this series, we abide by three rules: films included must not be posthumous releases, they must be feature films, and they must be solo directorial efforts. Some of these pairings seem to speak to one another, presenting a cinematic through-line that represents a consistent voice from cinematic cradle to grave. Others represent dramatic departures, reflecting a filmmaker’s leap from emerging artist to heavyweight player. What new elements do we see when we connect these entrances and exits, and how do the bodies of work between them transform when we consider the bookends of a career? Though these filmmakers are no longer with us, they sure did leave an impression. View Entrances and Exits Series. Tickets sold individually for each film.

The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu