Their Films, Our Films: A Death in the Gunj

Set in the 80s in Mccluskiegang, an Anglo-Indian town in Jharkhand, the film follows Shutu, a young and sensitive young man on vacation with his extended family and their friends. The relationships between the characters slowly unravel as the vacation progresses, leaving Shutu feeling alone and isolated in the cold atmosphere of the hill station.

Directed by Konkona Sen Sharma, an actress and filmmaker known for her work in independent Hindi and Bengali cinema, as well as mainstream Bollywood films, this film eschews some of the classic tropes of a family Bollywood film and instead takes a closer look at what it really means to be isolated from and misunderstood by the structure of an Indian joint family.

This screening is part of a larger series of screenings and discussions attempting to pair Western films about South Asia with South Asian films dealing with similar themes or spaces. A Death in the Gunj follows a screening of Black Narcissus on 7/27 (tickets available here- https://www.eventbrite.com/manage/events/1994817576069/details). This series is a chance to go beyond the binaries of Bollywood and racist Indian caricatures to understand what it truly means to make Indian cinema.

Join us for a rare screening and discussion of A Death in the Gunj, led by Anjali Krishnakumar, an Indian writer, chef, and film critic.

The ticket price includes admission to the film screening as well as the cover for Ornithology jazz club (so you can enjoy some jazz after the heavy screening). Drinks are available for purchase at the bar downstairs and food is available at the cafe next door.

7:30 pm - Doors open

8:00 pm - Host introduction + Screening

10:30 pm - Film discussion