Satyajit Ray, Meeting Milos Forman & Polanski Meets Macbeth

Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray narrates and discusses his attitudes toward cinema: why he makes films and what he himself gains from them. He discusses the problems of casting, planning of shots and editing. Included are sequences of Pather Panchali and considerable footage of Ray at work during actual shooting.

• Produced and Directed by B.D. Garga. Photographed by Dilip Mukherjee. (1967, 13 mins, Print from Audio Brandon)

Meeting Milos Forman
In this interview given soon after the completion of Forman's first American film, Taking Off, we are treated to a candid, humorous and lively portrait of one of Czechoslovakia's most reputed filmmakers. Forman, a roguish, entertaining character, explains his reasons for using non-professional actors, tells anecdotes about his talent discoveries and provides interesting insights into the artistry of performers. The interview is interspersed with filmclips from Taking Off, Loves of a Blonde and The Fireman's Ball.

• Producer-Interviewer: Miriam Hetlar Weingarten. (1971, 30 mins, color, Print from Audio Brandon)

Polanski Meets Macbeth
This fascinating portrait of the director of Rosemary's Baby, Repulsion, Knife in the Water, was filmed on the set of his production of Macbeth. Interviews with the film's principal creators (writer Kenneth Tynan, producer Hugh Hefner and star Jon Finch) acquaint us with Polanski's imposing manner (likened to that of Orson Welles and Marlon Brando) and demand for perfection. We see Polanski on location in Wales, directing the climactic battle scenes, in which Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle. The ease and skill with which he makes the difficult scene, involving hundreds of actors and technicians, come alive dramatically demonstrates his flair for the medium. Scenes depicting Francesca Annis, Finch's beautiful young co-star, and the tension Polanski underwent, as his production ran over its allotted budget and shooting schedule, also highlight this revealing documentary.

• Directed and Produced by Frank Simon. Written by Michael Mindlen, Jr. (1972, 30 mins, color, Print from Audio Brandon)

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