HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON,

FOR THE LOVE OF INDIA

[DOCUMENTARY]

 

In January 1948, a few months after co-founding the internationally renowned cooperative photographic agency Magnum Photos, Henri Cartier-Bresson traveled to Delhi to meet with one of the key players in India’s transition, the great leader Mahatma Gandhi. It would be one of Gandhi’s final meetings before the leader’s assassination at the hands of a Hindu nationalist on January 30. The resulting photos of Gandhi’s last day of life and the events surrounding his funeral helped catapult Cartier-Bresson to international fame. The country’s culture and people inspired the photographer to go back six more times over the next few decades. What he captured in India are among some of his most inspiring works.

Developed in collaboration with Magnum Photos and the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, the documentary traces back the photographer’s steps in India. The filmmakers investigate some of Cartier-Bresson’s favorite topics, such as Gandhi’s passing, Kathakali dance and the streets of Ahmedabad. His influence on several Indian photographers that worked with the frenchman is also discussed throughout the film. Shot in several cities in India, as well as Paris and New York City.

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