Already in the shortlist of movies to be nominated for best foreign language film, it is difficult to say if it will win or not but it has potential no doubt. Nominations are due in a fortnight or so. The movie is a homage to cinema as seen through the eyes of a 9 year old boy in a small Gujarat town. One does get a sense of deja vu when seeing the film and that is because of its resemblance to the classic Italian film of 1988 "Cinema paradiso".
Apparently director Pan Nalin was inspired by the Italian classic. He has made a simple and loveable film showing the fascination of a 9 year old boy for cinema and its creation. The opening scene with 9 year old Samay watching the aeroplane above while lying in the field surrounded by tall weeds is reminiscent of " Pather panchali". The entire movie has excellent cinematography. The boy's fascination for cinema is documented artistically as he goes about experimenting the projection of images with his band of friends. There are a number of well composed scenes like his selling tea on the platform, his mom lovingly cooking and packing lunch, his friendship with the projectionist, his exchanging lunch for viewing films, his excitement in seeing the film though the hole in the projection room, his playing with light/ colours trying to tell stories, his fabrication of projection equipment, his trying out film projection in the abandoned station building, his getting aware of the principle of "persistence of vision" which creates motion, his stealing reels of film etc. The end is a sort of catharsis for the young boy. At the end of the movie the director pays homage to some of the greatest film makers of the world including Satyajit Ray, Scorsese, Kubrick, Antonioni, Godard, Desica etc by mentioning them.
Apparently director Pan Nalin was inspired by the Italian classic. He has made a simple and loveable film showing the fascination of a 9 year old boy for cinema and its creation. The opening scene with 9 year old Samay watching the aeroplane above while lying in the field surrounded by tall weeds is reminiscent of " Pather panchali". The entire movie has excellent cinematography. The boy's fascination for cinema is documented artistically as he goes about experimenting the projection of images with his band of friends. There are a number of well composed scenes like his selling tea on the platform, his mom lovingly cooking and packing lunch, his friendship with the projectionist, his exchanging lunch for viewing films, his excitement in seeing the film though the hole in the projection room, his playing with light/ colours trying to tell stories, his fabrication of projection equipment, his trying out film projection in the abandoned station building, his getting aware of the principle of "persistence of vision" which creates motion, his stealing reels of film etc. The end is a sort of catharsis for the young boy. At the end of the movie the director pays homage to some of the greatest film makers of the world including Satyajit Ray, Scorsese, Kubrick, Antonioni, Godard, Desica etc by mentioning them.