CINEMA OF PRAYOGA is a unique touring exhibition of artists' film and video work from India; making available for the first time in the UK this rich and unseen history. Moving from the birth of Indian cinema with the fantastic films of D.G. Phalke, to the inventive and playful work produced under the government’s Films Division in the 1960s

Launching a regular South Asian strand to the programme, it seems fitting to start at the beginning. This programme presents revelatory and rare films from two founding periods of Indian cinema. D.G. Phalke’s fantastic films, like those of George Méliès in France, are the foundations of Indian cinema. Phalke gave magical movement to Indian mythology with Raja Harishchandra the first ever Indian film in 1913. Inventive and playful, these films merge folk theatre with epic literature, myth with modernity. Also showing are films produced under the government’s ‘Films Division’. Founded in 1948, with the aim of documenting independent India, these works reflect the processes of post-colonial nation building. Similar to the British GPO Film Unit, filmmakers were given free reign in the 60s and 70s to explore the possibilities of cinema from animation and impressionistic documentary to subversive collages.

We are incredibly fortunate to have live Hindustani Classical music accompanying the early silent films, courtesy of Dr Rajput and Dr Anand from Gurukul. Dr Rajput is one of the leading Indian Classical Music vocalists in the country, a disciple of the 87 year old living legend of classical music, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. They will introduce the themes of these early celluloid mythologies and devotionals and accompany the films vocally and instrumentally.

If you are interested in South Asian film please get in touch to help choose the next films.

PLEASE NOTE THIS DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM THE PRINTED BROCHURE. IT IS 19 JANUARY, NOT 18 JANUARY.

This touring programme is a partnership project between ICO and no.w.here lab.