The Films Division of India, 1948-1964: The early days and the influence of the british documentary film tradition

Camille Deprez*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This article investigates the Films Division of India from its creation in 1948 until the death of the country's first independent prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1964. Nehru created the Films Division to lead the production and distribution of information films, enlisting documentary cinema for the larger project of nation building, integration, and development. The article examines the influence of the Griersonian documentary film tradition on the conception, creation, and early development of the Films Division and its films and shows the limits of this enterprise against the background of Nehruvian plans for the newly independent and democratic Republic of India.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)149-173
Number of pages25
JournalFilm History: An International Journal
Volume25
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Visual Arts and Performing Arts
  • History

User-Defined Keywords

  • Documentary film
  • Films Division
  • India
  • John Grierson
  • Official filmmaking

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