With Morning Hearts

In 1997, the filmmaker began a long chronicle at Doon School, one of the country’s most prestigious boys’ schools founded by a group of nationalists in the 1930s. Sometimes called the Eton of India, Doon School has nevertheless developed its own distinctive style and presents a curious mixture of privilege and egalitarianism. This film focuses on a group of twelve-year-olds during their first year in one of the ‘houses’ for new boys. The film portrays their attachment to the house but, more importantly, their attachment to one another in a communal life. It follows, in particular, the experiences of one boy and several of his close associates, from their initial homesickness to their life as members of the group, and on to their leaving the house at the end of the year.