Stories of Indian Cinema: Abandoned and Rescued
The George Eastman Museum has recently acquired the world’s largest collection of contemporary Indian cinema held by a museum or film archive. The collection consists of 774 prints representing 597 film titles, all in 35mm format, made between 1999 and 2013. A large number of film posters were also acquired as part of the collection. Stories of Indian Cinema will shed light on the intriguing story behind the Eastman Museum's acquisition of this collection, and will feature a selection of posters and films in the main galleries and at the Dryden Theatre.
Also on view: Nandita Raman: Cinema Play House , Raman’s series of photographs of single-screen cinemas in India.
Missed the exhibition? Learn the story behind the acquisition on YouTube.
Stories of Indian Cinema was made possible by:
Vinod and Vinay Luthra
Nita and Dominic Genova
With additional support from:
Allyson and Sanjay Hiranandani
Jett Mehta
Vinyas and Ketul Patel
Mahjula and Jagat Mehta, M.D.
I.C. Shah
Jaimala and Krishan Thanik, M.D.
Swadesh and Om Popli
Natasha Sodhi and Harpreet Deol, DDS
Rahul N. Laroia, DDS
Shaku and Nagin Shah
Gopiram Pansai
And special thanks to:
Rajeev Ramchandran, MD
Donors have contributed $250 or more in support of the exhibition.
Film Quest
A ticking clock, a collection of lost films, the threat of demolition, and a theater plunged in darkness. Inspired by the dramatic true story featured in the exhibition Stories of Indian Cinema: Abandoned & Rescued at the George Eastman Museum, Film Quest gives you the opportunity to put yourself in a museum archivist’s shoes and search for films to save. Earn points by collecting film reels and posters—deciding on the fly which should be kept and which must be left behind—as you use a flashlight to wind your way through the cavernous, pitch-black rooms of an abandoned movie theater. But you'll have to hurry. When time runs out, the theater will be torn down and only the films you’ve saved will live on for future generations.