British Council in India lines up movie marathon

A line-up of 20 British films will be showcased as part of the newly launched #20films20weeks programme by the British Council.

The 20-week long movie marathon, which began here on Saturday and will go on till January 2017, will traverse across New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Bengaluru showcasing some of the best of British cinema.

"Films are an eternal source of entertainment that go beyond demographic boundaries and bring people together. The programme #20Films20Weeks is our unique initiative to celebrate this shared love of films and familiarize the UK culture in India by showcasing the best works of British cinema across the country," Alan Gemmell OBE, Director, British Council India, said in a statement.

With a planned schedule of one film per week, 20 films will be screened in each of British Council's nine centres and libraries. The programme will display movies based on varied themes ranging from children's entertainers to gripping drama features.

There will also be a series of Secret Screening films each month, where audiences will find out the film on the day, with hints being dropped on the British Council India's Twitter @inBritish in the run-up to the event.

Coinciding with author Roald Dahl Day on September 13, this month will celebrate the exceptional contributions of Dahl by screening two of his favourite works, including "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", for which he wrote the screenplay, and another story about a small boy and a huge piece of fruit.

Planned for November, the documentary "David Bowie: Five Years" covers the five most important years of musician David Bowie's career using his songs and archived footage which were considered most creative and influential, as well as several other award winning films on influential British artistes.

Ringing bells at Christmas time is a showcase of children's cinema in December and January and will witness the films of Ken Loach, including a showcase of the British director's award-winning dramas.

--IANS

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