Indian filmmaker Suman Mukhopadhyay recently visited Blacksburg to screen his two features and speak with filmmaking students at Virginia Tech. Talking with Mukhopadhyay about Herbert and Chaturanga was a real highlight of the semester, and a great way to end to the year. Today, Mukhopadhyay shares Herbert, his debut feature, with New Yorkers as part of the Museum of Modern Art's ContemporAsian film series.
Nathan Lee, writing in today's New York Times, calls Herbert "mad, messy, and frequently amazing." It is.
Showtimes are as follows:
Mukhopadhyay's newest film, Chaturanga, which is still playing cinemas in India, is even more impressive. It trades Herbert's surrealism and self-reflexivity for a more contemplative approach, as befits its story of spiritual searching. Chaturanga is currently screening in theaters in India. Catch it on the festival circuit if you're lucky right now -- and let's hope that a smart American distributor picks it up.