This pilot is focused on studying the legacy of documentaries and informational films archived at Films Division in Mumbai, India. Films Division has produced state-sponsored documentary, informational, and experimental cinema since India’s independence in 1947. This institution is also working to create a national archive that will curate and study the history of Indian cinema overall: The Film Heritage Foundation. This pilot study was initiated in December, 2014 as a result of MEP conference participation at Visible Evidence 21 in New Delhi and and archive visits in Mumbai. An international team of scholars has initiated the study of Films Division materials for this pilot study.
We are grateful to Mr. V.S. Kundu, former Director General of Films Division, for his generosity and enthusiasm regarding this project.
Study participants include:
- Aparna Sharma, Assistant Professor, UCLA
- Neepa Majumdar, Associate Professor, University of Pitsburgh
- Surbhi Goel, Assistant Professor, Panjab University, Chandigarh
- Kaushik Bhaumik, Associate Professor, (JNU) Jawaharial Nehru University
- Camille Deprez, Research Assistant Professor, Academy of Film, (HKBU) Hong Kong Baptist University
- Peter Sutoris, Independent Scholar
- Shahid Jamal, Professor, (SNU) Shiv Nadar University
- Simran Bhalla, PhD student, Northwestern University