The Best of Bengali Cinema

This year the London Indian Film Festival curated a brilliant selection of Bengali films from West Bengal and Bangladesh. From documentaries to dramas and even a hybrid. It includes Swimming Through The Darkness: an inspiring documentary following blind swimmer Kanai Chakraborty compete in the world’s longest swimming competition, Abhijaan: a beautiful and tender biopic paying tribute to the incredible life and work of Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee, The Salt in Our Waters: a sleepy Bangladeshi village is the setting for this sumptuous drama about an urban artist who moves to the coast co-produced by Spike Lee’s company. Who is Baul: an exquisite soundtrack accompanies these anecdotes from the Bauls of Bengal, wandering musicians keeping history and tradition alive.