the apu trilogy
A university-trained painter and a director with unusual sympathy for his characters, India's Satyajit Ray won international acclaim beginning with his 60-year-old debut films — a trio of realistic period movies about a young man's country life in Bengal. In 1993, "The Apu Trilogy," often hailed as one of the peak accomplishments in world cinema, had its 35mm celluloid film negatives burned in a massive fire. Frequently unseen since in its original form, the triptych has been rigorously recovered through digital technology. The classic series now returns to theaters in painstakingly restored new prints. In 1991, on his deathbed, Ray was awarded a special Oscar for "rare mastery of the art of motion pictures and for his profound humanitarian outlook." If you do not know his work, now would be a good time to start. If you do, why not revisit it? (Through July 16 at Lagoon Cinema, 1320 Lagoon Av., Mpls. In subtitled Bengali, unrated and suitable for all audiences.)
Colin Covert
