Picture of the film THAMP̄ (THE CIRCUS TENT) by Govindan Aravindan © Film Heritage Foundation
A second life for Thamp̄ (The Circus Tent): Govindan Aravindan’s masterpiece saved from oblivion
Cannes Classics celebrates the memory of world cinema and welcomes little gems that have been saved from oblivion, such as Thamp̄ (The Circus Tent), screened today. Released in 1978, this was the third feature film by Govindan Aravinan. Restoring such a film was a necessity since the director represents a role model for generations of film-lovers in India.
Things are happening in the village. The circus sets up, its animals pace about, and bicycles stir up dust near the river. The villagers meet the artists, and their lives become disrupted by it all. This is the story told by Govindan Aravindan, a major figure in India's independent cinema scene.
After having dabbled in painting, music, and theater, he finally launched himself body and soul into cinema. Govindan fashioned a very personal style over the course of his films, which were shot in malayalam, a dialect from southern India. For Thamp̄ (The Circus Tent), he filmed without a script and mixed the villagers in with his actors. Among the latter, Jalaja and Nedumudi Venu appear on the screen, far from imagining the long careers that await them.
Restoring Thamp̄ (The Circus Tent) required eight months of intense work, which started with the search for useable film. In the absence of the original, an appeal was launched worldwide. Japan had a copy, but the embedded subtitles prevented it from being used. Material was finally found in India, at the National Film Archive, but it was badly creased and torn in places. Meticulous restoration work was undertaken by the Film Heritage Foundation before the film was digitized, and it is presented today in its dazzling new version.
A presentation by Film Heritage Foundation (India). Restored by the Film Heritage Foundation, The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, la Cineteca di Bologna at Prasad Corporation Pvt. Ltd.’s Post-Studios, Chennai, and the Immagine Ritrovata laboratory. In collaboration with General Pictures, the National Film Archive and the family of Govindan Aravindan. Funding: Prasad Corporation Pvt. Ltd. and the Film Heritage Foundation.
