The Pompidou Center is presenting a major exhibition that explores Indian society through the eyes of 50 Indian and French artists. My trip to Pompidou was a great occasion to bring back my interest for India to full flame. It was also an unexpected opportunity to gain new insights on Louis Malle’s movie life and to learn about his documentary ’Calcutta’.

At the end of the exhibition, I wandered around the bookstore and stumbled upon Louis Malle’s travel diary, ‘l’Inde fantôme’.

I was 8 years old when I first saw Louis Malle’s movie ‘Au revoir les enfants’ which tells the story of his childhood during French occupation by the nazi and the arrest of his jewish friend by the French Gestapo. I remembered vividly the scene: we were watching the movie together with my parents in the living room, it was winter season, and I was trying not to burst into tears in front of them. In hindsight, I believe my parents were going through the same emotions. When I went back to my room, I let the tears out. From that day on, I have always been grateful to Louis Malle and this is my personal tribute to him: Louis Malle, wherever your soul rests on this planet, I want you to hear that you’ve brought to my attention the fickleness of life itself: that injustice could arbitrarily strike me and anyone I love, anytime, and while generosity and love would be precious forces in the face of hatred, there would be situations one would not be able to escape and control. I’m very lucky to have understood that lesson via your personal story; not having to experience the situation first-hand like you did while a kid, yet intrinsically able to empathize 110%.

22 years later, my love story with Louis Malle continues with l’Inde fantôme. Louis Malle headed to India with a 2 man crew at age 34. The journey lasted a little under four months, from January through May 1968. While going into this project, Malle had two literary models in mind:  le Journal de voyage en Italie de Montaigne et L’Afrique fantôme de Michel Leiris. The journey generated over 30 hours of footage, which was edited into seven segments of about 54 minutes each for television. For 4 months, the 3 men filmed everything they saw, everyone they met, keen observers.

For anyone interested in India, 1968, Louis Malle, and foreign cultures, get yourself Calcutta DVD and travel diary Phantom India. There is a wonderful correspondence between Louis Malle and Vijaya Mulay who personally facilitated Malle’s documentary project shot throughout India and defended him in the face of censorship.

Below the links to access all segments with english subtitles!

http://wn.com/louis_malle_phantom_india

Episode 1, “The Impossible Camera”

Episode 2, “Things Seen in Madras”

Episode 3, “The Indians and the Sacred”

Episode 4, “Dreams and Reality”

Episode 5, “A Look at the Castes”

Episode 6, “On the Fringes of Indian Society”

Episode 7, “Bombay: The Future India.”