Sita Sings the Blues
Tuesday 8 July 2008
(Nina Paley, USA , 2008, 82 mins)
Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this dazzlingly animated new interpretation of the Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as "the greatest break-up story ever told".
Directed, written, produced, designed and animated by Nina Paley, who will introduce the screening.

Event Time: 18.30 – 20.00
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6 (£4 concessions)
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Ramayana – The Legend of Prince Rama
Tuesday 15 July 2008
(Yugo Sako, Ram Mohan, Japan/India, 1992, 170mins)
A fabulous animated version of the Ramayana that combines the visual flair of Japanese manga and anime (not unlike the work of Spirited Away director Miyazaki) with Indian art forms, resulting a spectacular epic of battles scenes, superhuman feats and magical weaponry that anticipates modern CGI epics, yet remains faithful to Valmiki's original. Suitable for all ages.
Screened with thanks Shringar Films.
Event Time: 18.30 – 21.15
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6 (£4 concessions)
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Sampurna Ramayan
Monday 21 July 2008
(Babuhai Mistry, India, 1961)
One of the greatest film versions, awash with memorable music and starring Mahipal and Anita Guha as Rama and Sita.
Event Time: 18.30 – 21.15
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price £6 (£4 concessions)
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Opera Jawa
Wednesday 10 September 2008
(Garin Nugroho, Indonesia / Austria, 2006, 120 mins, Javanese with subtitles)
A film hailed as ‘extraordinary', ‘superbly conceived' and ‘a masterpiece' in the UK press, this visually sumptuous music drama by Indonesia 's leading director is a reworking of The Abduction of Sita. Set to gamelan, electronics and the blues, the climatic episodes of the Ramayana epic blaze with political heat and sensuous imagination.
Event Time: 18.30 – 20.45
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6 (£4 concessions)
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