Panel discussion “Restoring the documentary worlds of Govindan Aravindan’s ‘Thamp̄’”

The World Cinema Project’s mission to “give a new life to masterpieces, shed a light on obscure cinematic gems, and expand the canon of world cinema” led to the rediscovery of Indian New Wave filmmaker G. Aravindan (1935-91). The gloriously restored 4k version of his 1978 film ‘Thampu’ (The Circus Tent) recently garnered international attention. The film, about an itinerant circus troupe, is shot in black-and-white, and moves seamlessly between documentary and narrative. The first segment of this event will be led by Ramu Aravindan and Shivendra Dungarpur (Film Heritage Foundation) who were closely involved in the restoration. They will talk about the process and the challenges of restoring documentary images – remaining true to their original “imperfections,” while rendering them accessible for contemporary viewers. That will be followed by a talk from Ameet Parameswaran on exploring the itinerant art of circus as an experience in creating worlds, as well as cinematic engagement with performance. Veena Hariharan will introduce the film and chair the discussion.