The Song of the Little Road 20 years old

Why films endure, Why films perish. How Satyajit Ray's films did both.

Satyajit Ray’s masterpiece the Apu Trilogy is widely considered one of the most important works in cinema history. In 1992, Ray was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Oscar. But when film-preservationist David Sheppard volunteered to go to Bengal, he found the original negatives in a terrible state. “It’s hard to think of another world-class filmmaker”, says Sheppard, “whose oeuvre hangs by such a thin thread!” The Song of the Little Road tells the story of how a master’s body of work came so close to disintegration, and why Ray’s films move audiences so deeply across time and cultural boundaries. Three icons – director Martin Scorsese, producer Ismail Merchant, and music composer Ravi Shankar – illustrate stirringly what makes a masterpiece.

Credits

The Song of the Little Road Cast

Name	Character
Martin Scorsese He was 60, now 81 years old	as Himself
Ismail Merchant He was 66, 68 years old when he died
Peter Rainer

The Song of the Little Road Crew

Name	Department
Geraud Brisson as Editor.	Editing