Ten-year-old runaway Kishan Tiwari has some lofty decisions to make in Pan Nalin’s FAITH CONNECTIONS
FAITH CONNECTIONS (Pan Nalin, 1958)
Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th St. at Seventh Ave.
September 12-19
212-620-5000
www.rubinmuseum.org
www.faithconnections.in
In December 2007, Indian filmmaker Pan Nalin’s debut feature, Samsara, had a two-week theatrical run at the Rubin Museum; we called the film “lush” and “gorgeous,” with a “documentary-like feel . . . an unforgettable journey of mind and body, of the inner struggle to find one’s place in the world — or to renounce it.” We can say just about the same thing about his latest film, the very different Faith Connections, which is having its U.S. theatrical release September 12-19 at the Rubin as well. Last year, Nalin’s father asked him to go on the massive Hindu spiritual pilgrimage known as Kumbh Mela, which occurs every twelve years when, over the course of fifty-five days, one hundred million men, women, and children descend on a fifty-five-square-mile area centered around the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Sarasvati rivers in India, where they enter the water and ritually cleanse themselves. The elderly man wanted a bottle of water for himself, but Nalin decided to take along his camera and also bring back stories to share with his father. Amid all the mayhem, he found several remarkable tales that, although true, are like gripping fictional mysteries. The hermit Hatha Yogi Baba had renounced the world, but he has encountered a new view of existence after finding an abandoned baby and raising the child himself. Vivekanandji and Umeshji are sadhus, holy men seeking liberation, primarily via marijuana, which is also a favorite of the pilgrim Shuklaji.
Hermit Hatha Yogi Baba finds himself at the Kumbh Mela with a new reason to consider a different path
The most heartbreaking tale belongs to Mamta Devi and Sonu, who are desperately trying to locate their three-year-old son, Sandeep, who has disappeared; as it turns out, more than one hundred thousand people at the Kumbh Mela go missing, their families making their way to the Lost and Found Centre in search of hope. But the most entertaining story is that of ten-year-old Kishan Tiwari, a tough, streetwise runaway orphan deciding whether to become a sadhu or a gangster. Beautifully photographed by Anuj Dhawan, Swapnil Sonawane, and Nalin and featuring an exquisite score by Cyril Morin, Faith Connections is a spellbinding journey into the mystical world of the Kumbh Mela, expertly edited by Shreyas Beltangdy and Julie Delord from hundreds of hours of footage to create a captivating narrative. Out of tens of millions of people with their own stories, Nalin (Valley of Flowers, Ayurveda: Art of Being) located a handful of compelling tales that serve as a microcosm of all the swirling activity going on during this unique communion. Nalin casts no judgment, makes no excuses, as he celebrates this mind-boggling ritual that brings so many different people together, in a society that has been built around the separatist caste system. At nearly two hours, the film could probably use a little trimming, but it’s still a marvel to experience. Faith Connections will have a one-week run at the Rubin, with Nalin participating in a Q&A after the 7:00 screening on September 12, opening night.