Boatman

An impressionistic view of Bernares, the holy town of the Ganges, built around the central character of a boatman. Indians and Westeners alike are fascinated by this river, which carries along with it both life and death. “Small encounters, small facts occur in the course of a hypothetical day. There is the river animated by ancestral forms and in the background the city wich lives, prays, marries and dies, creating the illusion of a moving point of view (from within the boat). The film takes on the shade of a journey without destination. Various characters and images appear and disappear from the screen, and Gopal, the boatman, is the only constant point of reference.” (Gianfranco Rosi)