Ray made this controversial poetic sketch of a remote Himalayan principate north of Darjeeling, on a commission from its ruler (and his American-born queen). Ray’s wide-ranging look at the place and its people takes in a royal banquet, trainee monks, grand mountains, and more. Subjected to censorship and a national ban, it was only recently shown in India for the first time in decades. Restored by the Satyajit Ray Preservation Project at the Academy Film Archive. Print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive.

Screening with

Bala
Satyajit Ray, 1976, India; 33m
Ray’s rarely screened record of the famed Bharata Natyam dancer. Special thanks: National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai, India, Producer. Print courtesy of the Satyajit Ray Film and Study Collection at the Academy Film Archive.