After shooting multiple films in Hollywood, the acclaimed French director Jean Renoir set off to India to shoot his first colour film. While searching for locations in Calcutta, Renoir befriended a young Satyajit Ray, who would accompany him on his scouting expeditions. Lovingly shot by Jean’s nephew, DP Claude Renoir, the vibrant Technicolor underscores the turbulent emotions of the young women at the centre of the story, as they begin to make the delicate transition from childhood to adulthood. Adapted from Rumer Godden’s autobiographical novel, THE RIVER deals with many of Renoir's favourite themes: love and death, decay and renewal, all seen through the prism of daily life.
Enriched by Renoir’s subtle understanding and appreciation for India and its people, The River gracefully explores the fragile connections between transitory emotions and everlasting creation.
