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synopsis

Bell Metal and Other Stories

The film BELL METAL AND OTHER STORIES is a journey through the almost extinct school of non caste bell metal work in the district of Murshidabad, West Bengal. On one hand, it tries to trace the origin of the craft as we see it now. And on the other hand it is the story of a community in dilemma. It talks about the craftsman, who for ages had been churning out marvelous metallic objects getting into the process of inevitable death. However, the film delves into the psyche of two generation craftsmen apparently contradicting each other. Madan Mohan Das, the master craftsman does not have any spark of hope left while his eldest son Manu is still a crusader. The film extensively shot at Beharampore and metal market of Calcutta tries to encapsulate the wholistic reasons of downfall of such prospective art. Analysing the economic and the commercial reason the film deals with the multiple perspective of traders, craftsmen and the buyers. Finally the film suggests positivity through the present generation craftsman’s approach: diehard effort that could be the last leap to long-term sustainability.

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film details

Name of the Film:
Bell Metal and Other Stories
Director:
Niloshree Biswas
Production Company:
Aurora Film Corpn Pvt. Ltd.
Year of Release:
1970