VHS : Dance Of The Wind [1998]

Rating: - A cinematic gem, subtle, poetic and with real heart
I recommend this film to all fans of cinema - art or commercial, for it has all the elements that make for a wonderful piece of cinema. A strong story well written and beautifully acted is wrapped in the most melodius music and stunning camerawork. Each of these strands fit together perfectly, serving each other to create what feels like a visual poem. Dance of the Wind tells the tale of Pallavi, a classical North Indian singer who loses her voice when her mother, who is also her teacher, dies. The journey of self-discovery on which Pallavi must embark to find her own voice is never sentimentalised, and her sense of trauma is subtle, but very real. Set in in contemporary New Delhi, the film present's a rarely-seen glimpse into the live's of the young, urban, middle-classes; where the contradictions of the old and new sit side-by side and are reflected in Pallavi's own journey. This is ultimately a story about identity and a sense of self, which, in the framework of a musical tradition that demands devotion to one's master, is easily lost. Well paced and sensuously crafted, this film (which won the Audience Award at the London Film Festival in 1998) deserves to be seen again and again.

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Rating: - A lyrical, beautiful, moving feast for the senses...
This is more than a film - it is a feast for the senses and its sights and sounds will pull you into a sometimes magical, sometimes modern - but always enchanting world. Pallavi is a classical Indian singer who loses her voice when her mother (also her guru) dies. She realises that she never learned to sing with her own voice and we follow her journey to regaining her confidence and finally (re)-discovering her individuality. It works beautifully both as a simple parable and as a wider metaphor for the artistic and individual voice. Although it is set in contemporary Delhi, it is a universal rite of passage story that applies to anyone and everyone. It is a deceptively simple film - lyrical, langourous, haunting and deeply moving. The soundtrack is sensational!

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Rating: - A quiet, beautiful and thoughtful film, Indian and Western
An quiet, beautiful and thoughtful film. It's made in India, but is clearly inspired by Western art-films. My impression is that it has a bit of Kieslowski's Freedom and The Double Life of Veronica. Only, dare I say, this one has a deeper vision. It's about finding oneself, through finding God... In addition to love and overcoming grief, there's that silence the seers describe. Classical Indian musicians sing grounded in that silence and out comes a particular kind of beauty. Almost everyone with spiritual interests will enjoy this quiet, beautiful and thoughtful movie.