Excerpts from a series of films Benoy Behl made in 2005 on the subject of The Paintings of India. In this first playlist I feature the documentaries on sacred art.
Beliefs Made Visible – Hindu and Buddhist Art in South Asia
Two short documentaries giving an overview of Hindu and Buddhist art in India, made by the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, which is one of the largest museums of Asian Art in the world.
India Untouched – Stories of a People Apart
A documentary about the scourge of caste and untouchability in modern-day India, covering the subject in a comprehensive way amongst all walks of life.
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: The Untold Truth
Louis Malle’s Calcutta (India 1969)
French filmmaker Louis Malle’s film about Calcutta, which records in intimate detail the lives of the people in the city.
Sita Sings the Blues
A modern retelling of the Ramayana story by Nina Paley featuring the music of the 20s blues singer Annette Hanshaw.
Kalacakra: Wheel of Time
This is Werner Herzog’s record of the 2002 Kalacakra event in Bodhgaya, and same event later in the year held in Graz, Austria. The film also includes a visit to Mt. Kailash
Buddha in Suburbia
This is a candid look at the two lives of the Lelung Rinpoche: on the one hand he is one of the most revered of the the reincarnated lamas in the Tibetan tradition, recognised by the Dalai Lama and respected and revered wherever he goes. On the other hand he is an almost unknown and…
Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World
Historian Bettany Hughes explains some of the basic Buddhist concepts, and at the same time show some of the riches of Buddhist culture.
