Please Note: Indian delicacies donated by Gaylord India Restaurant of San Francisco will be served at a 5:00 reception in the Museum Garden to which PFA viewers are invited.

One of Ray's two films for the young (of any age) to feature Felu, the fearless but virtuous detective created by Ray for his children's magazine, Sandesh. The Golden Fortress is based on a wonderful and exotic premise: a six-year-old boy, obsessed with visions of a past life, records them in sketches which include images of peacocks, camels, and a “golden fortress.” When he is put into the care of a parapsychologist, the boy and his doc embark on a journey to Western Rajasthan in search of the fortress. They are followed by a villainous duo who do away with the psychologist in short order, and kidnap the boy. Felu, hired by the boy's father (and accompanied by his erstwhile companions, a teenage “Watson” and a curious crime-fiction writer), sets off in hot - very hot - pursuit through desert and town.
“This is one of the most beautifully lit of all Ray's films, with a vivid color styling.... He utilizes many wonderful locations in Rajasthan (the setting for the earlier Goopy and Bagha), with its rugged desert landscapes. The film...suggests that Ray has a genuine talent for natural, enchanting humor (like the delicious camel chase)....” --Marie Seton, “Portrait of a Director: Satyajit Ray.”
For the further adventures of Felu (played by Ray's leading male actor, Soumitra Chatterjee, who played the mature Apu, the husband in Devi, the cousin in Charulata, and the Brahmin in Distant Thunder), see The Elephant God, Sunday October 18. (JB)