BRATTLEBORO — Epsilon Spires, in collaboration with Vidhi Salla of "Vidhi's Bollywood Jukebox," will host a special screening of Last Film Show (2021), also known as Chhello Show on Friday, August 18, at 7:30 p.m. In this film, a nine-year-old boy, Samay, lives in a remote village in western India and harbors dreams of becoming a filmmaker after watching his first Bollywood film.
Last Film Show was India's official entry to the 95th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The movie premiered at the 20th Tribeca Film Festival in 2021 and was the first Gujarati-language film selected for the festival section. It will be screened inside the sanctuary at Epsilon Spires in the original language along with English subtitles.
Salla will present a pre-screening introduction about the background of the film and share snippets of her interview with director Pan Nalin. During the screening, audiences can enjoy masala chai and samosas and shop for Indian handicrafts curated by Salla. Tickets are priced at $12 and can be purchased on epsilonspires.org.
"The production design as well as cinematography of Last Film Show are exceptional, and it's a must-watch on the big screen," Salla said in a news release. "I can only imagine how magical it will look on the screen inside the sanctuary at Epsilon Spires. Filmmaker Nalin mentioned in my interview that for most of his career, he kept his backstory hidden from the media, but a decade ago, when he visited his projectionist friend from his childhood, Nalin was heartbroken at his state.
"With the introduction of digital screening, projectionists all over India who did not have knowledge of English or computers were forced out of work. On his bus ride back home, Nalin decided to write the story that became this film. Last Film Show is sweet, optimistic, and resonates with cinephiles all over the world. The film has received an overwhelming response in different parts of the USA, Europe, and Japan. I can't wait for our local audiences to watch it."
Salla is a cultural arts curator, radio show host and journalist from Mumbai, India, now based in Guilford, Vermont. Through her internationally streaming radio show and movie events, Vidhi has cultivated an audience for Indian music and films around the world.
"Vidhi's Bollywood Jukebox" is a theme-based, live radio show broadcast every Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. on Brattleboro's community radio station WVEW-LP and is available for streaming worldwide on wvew.org. She also writes a monthly column on Indian cinema exclusively for the Brattleboro Reformer, Bennington Banner, and Manchester Journal.
Seating for the movie screening is on first-come, first-served basis. Fore more information and tickets, visit epsilonspires.org or vidhiism.com.
This The Arts item was submitted to The Commons.