The Song of the Little Road

The story

Satyajit Ray’s masterpiece the Apu Trilogy is widely considered one of the most important works in cinema history. In 1992, Ray was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Oscar. But when film-preservationist David Sheppard volunteered to go to Bengal, he found the original negatives in a terrible state. “It’s hard to think of another world-class filmmaker”, says Sheppard, “whose oeuvre hangs by such a thin thread!” The Song of the Little Road tells the story of how a master’s body of work came so close to disintegration, and why Ray’s films move audiences so deeply across time and cultural boundaries. Three icons – director Martin Scorsese, producer Ismail Merchant, and music composer Ravi Shankar – illustrate stirringly what makes a masterpiece.

Cast & crew

Davlat Khudanazarov

Davlat KhudanazarovSelf

Ismail MerchantSelf

Partha Mitter

Partha MitterSelf

Michael Pogorzelski

Michael PogorzelskiSelf

Peter Rainer

Peter RainerSelf

Martin ScorseseSelf

Ravi ShankarSelf

David Shepard

David ShepardSelf