Oscar-winner to shoot Bengali film

Florian Gallenberger, the Oscar-winning German director, plans to shoot a Bengali film with an all-Indian cast. He hopes to premiere the movie at next year's Berlin Film Festival.

Shooting on the film based on his story Shadows Of Time will begin in Kolkata early next month.

Gallenberger, who won the 2001 Oscar for Best Short Film for I Want To Be, hopes to complete shooting by the end of April. The 120-minute Bengali film, with German subtitles, is being part-sponsored by the German government for an international art house audience.

Set in Kolkata and its suburbs, Shadows Of Time tells the story of a couple and their life spread over 60 years. "It is sort of a sad love story," says producer Norbert Preuss who visited the city with Gallenberger to prepare for the shooting.

Preuss explains the Indian setting and Bengali language were chosen to maintain authenticity. "The story deals with faith, loyalty and family consciousness. These attributes are better seen in Indian society than anywhere else. Florian and I decided Bengali could be the best language to express the conflict of emotions," Preuss said.

Most of the leading characters are Bengali actors and actresses. While Soumitra Chatterjee, veteran of Satyajit Ray movies, and Utpal Dutt's widow Sova Sen will play the couple in their older years, Sikandar Agarwal and Tumpa Das will portray the duo in their teens. The middle years of the couple will be portrayed by Prashant Narayanan (who played the villain in Chhal) and Tannistha Chatterjee.

Gallenberger has hired a Bengali communicator for a crash course in the language for non-Bengali members of his 100-member crew, which include 10 Germans.