ATLAS is delighted to screen Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya’s film The Cinema Travellers, currently showing in film festivals around the world, most recently in Los Angles. Winner of the prestigious L’Œil d’or: Le Prix du documentaire at its launch at Cannes in 2016, The Cinema Travellers is a stunning piece of documentary cinema intimately chronicling Indian traditional travelling cinema. This screening forms part of ATLAS’ 2017 artistic programme exploring connections between Gaelic and Indian culture.
About the film
The film shows the annual journey of the showmen who take cinema lorries to far-flung villages in India to bring the magic of film to rural communities, offering the audience a unique outdoor cinema experience under the cover of traditional white tents. Seven decades on, as their cinema projectors crumble and film reels become scarce, their patrons are lured by slick digital technology. A benevolent showman, a shrewd exhibitor, and a maverick projector mechanic bear a beautiful burden – to keep the last travelling cinemas of the world running.
About the directors
Shirley Abraham has directed documentaries for the Guardian, Al Jazeera English and Doordarshan India. Her work is supported by the Sundance Institute, Bertha Foundation, Filmmaker Fund, PMA WorldView and Asian Cinema Fund. She has been a fellow of the Sundance Institute, Cluster of Excellence “Asia Europe in a Global Context”, Goethe-Institut and TasveerGhar.
Amit Madheshiya is a photographer and filmmaker. His photographs have won awards from World Press Photo and World Photography Awards, and have been shown in solo and group exhibitions worldwide. He is a fellow of the Sundance Institute, Goethe-Institut, India Foundation for the Arts, Arts Council of England and the University of Heidelberg.
Shirley and Amit founded Cave Pictures in 2015. The Cinema Travellers is their first feature-length film production.
Reading List
The Cinema Travellers Review – intimate documentary is ode to enduring power of film
The Guardian
Why does film matter
Intellect | Publishers of original thinking
After the screening, you are invited to stay for our informal discussion group to talk about the film over a glass of wine or beer.
Refreshments
Delicious refreshments served before and after the screening including wine, beer, soft drinks with cheese and hams.
Accessibility
Please contact us if you have any specific accessible requirements.