Director: Jean Renoir
Runtime: 99 minutes
Country: France, United Kingdom, India, United States
Language: English, Bengali
Rating: PG

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Awards

BEST FILM
Cahiers du Cinema 1951

INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Venice IFF 1951

“Along the river were villages and people living and working…content in their traditions which had not changed for thousands of years.”
– Harriet in The River

Full Synopsis

Based loosely on Rumer Godden’s novel of her colonial childhood in Bengal, Renoir’s first technicolour film is an idyllic evocation of India, impressionistically rendered in warm hues. Far removed from the political unrest in an India emerging from colonial rule, two teenage girls from an English expatriate family and their half-Indian neighbour, Melanie, vie for the attention of a disabled American war veteran– an outsider who looks to India to revitalise his wounded spirit. From the teeming bazaars and snake-charmers to the traditional performances and colourful cacophonies by the Ganges River, Renoir projects the girls’ ruminations on love, desire, death and life onto the Bengali landscape.

Supplementary Reading

Disclaimer: This programme features films which include outdated and historically inaccurate depictions, including instances of minstrel shows, yellow and brownface. Rather than deny or erase the colonial apparatuses in film history, these films and their complex legacies should be critically viewed in its original form, contextualised and discussed.

Oldham Theatre’s opening hours

The full Orienting Paradise: Western Projections of the East programme can be found here. Tickets will go on sale Friday, 25 March 2022.

Friends of AFA members may select the “Friends of AFA” option and enter your membership number if you wish to redeem your remaining complimentary tickets.

For further assistance, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org 

Important Notice:

Do note that Oldham Theatre does not play ads and screenings will start promptly. Arrive early so as not to disrupt the screenings. All patrons are encouraged to purchase your tickets online to be able to secure a seat. If you choose to purchase tickets or merchandise at Oldham Theatre’s box office, cashless payment is preferred.

Measures will be taken to ensure the health and safety of all patrons at Oldham Theatre. This includes wearing a mask at all times for both staff and patrons and TraceTogether logging. Doors will open 20 minutes before showtime, so arrive early to register and find a seat.

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T&Cs
Concession tickets apply to Students (Local & Overseas), Full-time National Servicemen (NSF), Senior Citizens (55 years and above) only.

Please check film ratings before purchase of tickets. Please note that you may be asked to present your ID at the door (this applies to concession tickets as well). Only physical photographic identification is allowed, digital copies of identification are not allowed. AFA reserves the right to turn away any members of the public without physical photographic identification.

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