Under the palace wall
Description
From the 16th century, the Indian village of Delwara in southern Rajasthan was ruled as a principality of the kingdom of Mewar. Its imposing palace, which overlooks the village, is now a luxury hotel -- a world remote from the daily life of the villagers.Following on from his film SchoolScapes, which was inspired by the early cinema of Lumiere, noted ethnographic filmmaker David MacDougall here employs a masterful series of precisely observed scenes to explore Delwara's local primary school and contemporary village life. Conventional documentary filmmaking practices are set aside here. There are no interviews and no narration.However, the beautifully composed, arresting imagery, mesmerizing background sounds and conversations, and incisive, thought-provoking editing juxtapositions powerfully convey to the viewer not just the surface of Delwara's daily life, but also its inner dimensions and rhythms, all of which unfold 'under the palace wall.' Under the Palace Wall will challenge viewers and generate thought and discussion in a wide range of courses in Indian and Asian studies, cultural anthropology, and film studies. It will certainly join the long list of classic ethnographic masterpieces produced by David MacDougall.
Runtime
53 minutes
Subjects
Geography
Genre
Database
Alexander Street
Direct Link
Similar Films
Haunted by Columbine
No Small Matter
Episode 2, Yunnan, China (Never Out of Reach)
Future school. Designed for learning. 2
The boy in the dress
New admissions code
Cool Spaces. Libraries
Schools That Change Communities
Chandos School
Trinity Primary School, Wolverhampton
The city school, Sheffield
28 Up. U.K. Part 1
Fernwood School, Nottingham
LaLee's Kin, The Legacy of Cotton
Oyler. One school, one year