VICTOR BANERJEE IN A FILM BY GORAN PASKALJEVIC TORONTO INT’L FILM FESTIVAL MASTERS After a long exile, Rahul returns to his village in the Himalayas. It causes commotion amongst the villagers, who have never forgiven him for his sins in the past. He must face the isolated world full of old prejudices, gender inequalities, and caste- based injustices in which women have no right to choose their own destiny. WATCH THE TRAILER CAST Victor BANERJEE Rahul Negi Geetanjali THAPA Shaanti Uttara BAOKAR Priya Raj ZUTSHI Taxi driver V.K. SHARMA Balbir Avijit DUTT Sunder S.P. MAMGAIN Priest Ambar KANT Munna Priya SHARMA Asha Sohaila KAPUR Maya Shalini SUNDRIYAL Darshani Bimal BAHUGUNA Village elder Abhishek BAHUGUNA Priest’s assistant Kunal MALLA Foreman Prabodh BHAJNI Asha’s brother Kiran Deep SHARMA Asha’s mother Vimla DHAUDIYAL Sunder’s wife Urmila KANDWAL Daughter-in-law Pradeep SHARMA Villager D.R. PUROHIT Asha’s uncle Ina PANT Asha’s sister Chirag THAPA Groom CREW Goran PASKALJEVIC Director Goran PASKALJEVIC Writers Victor BANERJEE Milan SPASIC Director of photography Kristina POZENEL Editor Satadal MITRA Art director Neeti JAIN Costume designer Nenad VUKADINOVIC Sound recordist Velibor HAJDUKOVIC Sound mixers Nebojsa ZORIC Zoran CULIC Camera operator and visual effects Nemanja PETKOVIC Focus puller D.R. PUROHIT Research and cultural consultant Ramesh MISHRA Music : traditional (musician – flute) Goran PASKALJEVIC Producer Philip and Madeleine ZEPTER Coproducers Gobindo J.C. ROY Executive producers Jelica ROSANDIC CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PICTURES VICTOR BANERJEE EARLY LIFE Banerjee was born to a Zamindari Bangali Hindu family and He is the only person in India who has won the National is a descendant of The Raja Bahadur of Chanchal and the Award in three separate categories. As a Cinematographer Raja of Uttarpara. for his documentary called Where No Journeys End which, He received his schooling at St. Edmund’s School, in competition with 3100 entries from 27 countries, also won Shillong, and graduated in English Literature from St. the Gold Award at the Houston International Film Festival. Xavier’s College, Calcutta and did Post Graduate studies in He won an award for Direction with the best documentary Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University. on Tourism called The Splendour of Garhwal and He turned down a scholarship to the Trinity College Roopkund and he won the Best Supporting Actor award for in Dublin who had offered,through the Irish Christian his work in Satyajit Ray’s Ghare Baire. Brothers, to admit him as an Operatic Tenor. He was the lead tenor in the the Calcutta Light Opera Group production of LIFE the Desert Song and even played Jesus in Bombay Theatre’s When not in Calcutta, he is to be found in the hill station of first ever musical production, Godspell. Landour in the Lower Western Himalaya in northern India. He has written short stories and is a regular contributor CAREER of articles to magazines, periodicals and newspapers in Victor Banerjee (born 15 October 1946) is an Indian actor India, on diverse and eclectic topics. His nonchalance to be who appears in Hindi, Bengali and English language films. politically incorrect and write with a bold and satirical pen, He has worked for prominent directors such as Roman has been respected and admired widely. Polanski, James Ivory, Sir David Lean, Jerry London, Ronald He has involved himself from time to time in human rights Neame, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray and Ram and labor issues. He helped form the Screen Extras Union Gopal Varma. of India and campaigned for the rights of Garhwali farmers. In 1984, he acted as Dr. Aziz Ahmed in David Lean’s film A He also campaigned for the creation of Uttarakhand in a Passage to India, bringing him to the attention of Western speech entitled Uttarakhand: A People Denied and has audiences. Victor was nominated for BAFTA award for this been credited with starting the movement that eventually role in 1986. He won two other awards for this role: Evening led to the creation of the Uttarakhand Solidarity Network. Standard British Film Award and NBR Award (National Board For almost forty years, he has run a Blind School in Upper of Review, USA). In April 1985, at a special event in Louisiana, Assam, called the Moran Blind School, where over seventy where John Travolta and Loretta Swit were also honoured, boys and girls from the families of tea garden workers and Banerjee was given the Showarama Award by the Motion the poorest of villagers,receive free board and lodging and Pictures Association of America as New International Star. an education till they leave for junior college. He acted in Merchant Ivory Productions Hullabaloo He is the Brand Ambassador for the Srimanto Shankardev Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures, Satyajit Ray’s Movement, that is reviving the culture of neo-Vaishnavites Shatranj Ke Khilari and Ghare Baire and in Mrinal Sen’s that was first introduced in the 15th Century, in Assam. Mahaprithivi. He is the Brand Ambassador for the Dimasa Tribe of the Though in recent years he has been involved with Cachar Hills of Northeast India, one of the most cultured Bollywood, he is affiliated with the Bengali film industry. He peoples of the northeast tracts, one the earliest Sino-Tibetan also plays ‘character actor’ roles from time to time in the tribes to inhabit the eastern Himalaya. British cinema. He is the Brand Ambassador of the Bird Watchers He was also cast in the critically acclaimed role of Jesus in Association of Uttarakhand. the 1988 production of the York Mystery Plays, by director He has for several years been the Goodwill Ambassadorfor Steven Pimlott. MENTAID an organization that cares for the mentally challenged in Calcutta. GORAN PASKALJEVIC Goran Paskaljevic is one of Europe’s most respected Midwinter Night’s Dream (San Zimske Noci) 2004 independant directors. He was born in Belgrade (Serbia) San Sebastian Film Festival - Grand Prize of the Jury Toronto Film Festival - Masters and he studied at the well-known Prague school of cinema Prenominated for the European Academy Awards in all categories (FAMU). He has made 30 documentaries and 17 feature Best Serbian film of the year films, shown and acclaimed at the most prestigious Nashville - Dreammaker Award for the Best Feature Film Montpellier - Golden Antigone for the Best Film international film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto Tromsø International Film Festival 2005- International Critics Prize FIPRESCI and San Sebastian…) How Harry Became a Tree 2001 In 2001, Variety International Film Guide marked him as Venice Film Festival (In Competition) one of the world’s top five directors of the year. Toronto Film Festival - Masters (Gala Premiere) The Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) in Newport Beach Film Festival - Best Film in all categories Best Foreign Film 2008 and the British Film Institute (London) in 2010, both Best Actor Winner Colm Meaney presented a full retrospective of his feature films, along with The Powder Keg aka Cabaret Balkan (Bure baruta) 1998 the publication of a monograph (in English) about his work. In the USA released through PARAMOUNT Classics Venice Film Festival His new film Dev Bhoomi, Land of the Gods, an Indian/ International Critics Prize FIPRESCI - Best Film in all categories Serbian coproduction, has been shot in India, in the European Critics Award for the Best European Film 1998 American National Film Board of Review Awards - Voted one of the top five best Himalaya mountains, in Hindi and English. foreign language films 1999 in the USA Toronto Film Festival - Masters Santa Barbara Film Festival - Grand Prize Haïfa Film Festival - Grand Prize FILMOGRAPHY Antalya Film Festival - Grand Prize Long feature films - Selected awards Someone Else’s America (Tudja America) 1995 Cannes Film Festival (Directors’ Fortnight) - Audience Award Dev Bhoomi (Land of the Gods) 2016 Valladolid Film Festival - Grand Prize (Golden Spike) Toronto Film Festival – Masters (World Premiere) Tango Argentino 1992 When Day Breaks (Kad Svane Dan) 2012 Venice Film Festival - Audience Award Toronto Film Festival – Masters San Francisco Film Festival - Audience Award ® Serbian entry for the Oscars Time of Miracles (Vreme cuda) 1990 Cleveland Film Festival - Grand Prix for the Best Film Cannes Film Festival - Directors’ Fortnight Warsaw Jewish Motifs Film Festival - Silver Award for the Best Feature Film San Sebastian Film Festival - International Critics Prize FIPRESCI Miami Jewish Film Festival - Audience Award for the Best Film European Film Festival Les Arcs (France) - Audience Award for the Best Film Guardian Angel (Andjeo cuvar) 1987 Palm Springs Film Festoval – Special Jury Price Cannes Film Festival - Directors’ Fortnight Honeymoons 2009 The Elusive Summer of ‘68 (Varljivo leto ‘68) 1984 Venice Film Festival Twilight Time (Suton) 1982 Toronto Film Festival - Masters Produced for MGM/UA, starring Karl Malden Valladolid Film Festival - Grand Prix (Golden Spike) and International Critics’ Chicago Film Festival - Grand Prize FIPRESCI Award for the Best Film UNICEF Grand Prize Cleveland Film Festival - Grand Prix for the best film Thessaloniki Film Festival (Out of Competition) - Audience Award Special Treatment (Poseban Tretman) 1980 The Optimists (Optimisti) 2006 Cannes Film Festival (Competition) - Best Supporting Actress (Milena Dravic) Golden Globe Hollywood - Nomination for Best Foreign Film Toronto - Masters (World Premiere) Valladolid Film Festival - Best Film (Golden Spike) ...And the Days Are Passing (Zemaljski dani teku)