India Speaks

Words and Music by -

May 1919 •English

Impresario Thomas Sullivan arrives in Ossawatomie, Kansas, to debut a new musical show written by local boy Gene Harris. After auditioning with a song by her bookkeeper boyfriend Brian McBride Sullivan hires Millicent Lloyd and takes her to New York City, where she becomes a famous singer. Brian, arriving in the city with a new opera, keeps his presence secret from Millicent until he has achieved success. But Harris suffering writer’s block steals Brian's work and presents it to Sullivan as his own. With the help of music publisher Gus Hertz, Brian exposes Harris and reclaims his composition. He and Millicent are reunited, and the opera goes on to enormous success.

The House Behind the Cedars

January 1927 •English

Rena is a young woman of mixed race. Although she is romantically pursued by an upwardly mobile African American named Frank, Rena does not decide in his favor. Her appearance allows her to pass for white, as she is of majority European ancestry, although she has grown up in the black community. She meets and falls in love with George Tryon, a young white aristocrat. But as their relationship deepens, Rena believes she has to acknowledge her African ancestry. Considered a lost film.

Like Stars on Earth

December 2007 •Hindi

Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. Colours, fish, dogs, and kites don't seem important to the adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks, and neatness. Ishaan cannot seem to get anything right in class; he is then sent to boarding school, where his life changes forever.

Outsourced

September 2007 •English

After his entire department is outsourced, an American novelty products salesman heads to India to train his replacement.

American Madness

August 1932 •English

Socially-conscious banker Thomas Dickson faces a crisis when his protégé is wrongly accused of robbing the bank, gossip of the robbery starts a bank run, and evidence suggests Dickson's wife had an affair... all in the same day.

Veer-Zaara

November 2004 •Hindi

Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh, a pilot in the Indian Air Force, rescues the stranded Zaara, a woman from Pakistan, following a bus accident, and their lives are forever bound.

Aśoka

September 2001 •Hindi

A young Prince Asoka works to perfect his skills in battle and also deals with family conflict. During a struggle with one of his step-brothers, his mother urges Asoka to escape to stay alive. While away, Asoka meets Kaurwaki and falls in love, but must use his skills as a warrior to protect her. A dangerous and heartbreaking web of conspiracy follows, which leads Asoka to embrace a Buddhist path.

The Ramayana

January 1965 •English

The Little Ballet Troupe of Bombay performs a "puppet ballet" of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.

Auroville: L'esquisse d'un monde

January 2009 •French

The Square Root

January 1969 •English

Photographer Peter Christiansen, University of Miami student, does a picture story at an LSD party on the beach.

Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam

March 1974 •Panjabi

This Punjabi Movie, Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam is a Punjabi movie about Sikhism. It was a great success. It portrays the people's belief in the almighty god who is one and how life teaches a lesson to those who does not believe so.

Billie

May 1912 •English

Billie is the "little mother" of the family and cares for the two smaller children. Her father has fallen under the spell of drink. Billie has become hardened by her struggle against the drink demon in her father and treats him with scant consideration.

Fascinating India

May 2014 •German

"Fascinating India" spreads an impressive panorama of India’s historical and contemporary world. The film presents the most important cities, royal residences and temple precincts. It follows the trail of different religious denominations, which have influenced India up to the present day. Simon Busch and Alexander Sass travelled for months through the north of the Indian subcontinent to discover what is hidden under India’s exotic and enigmatic surface, and to show what is rarely revealed to foreigners. The film deals with daily life in India. In Varanasi, people burn their dead to ashes. At the Kumbh Mela, the biggest religious gathering of the world, 35 million pilgrims bathe in holy River Ganges. This is the first time India is presented in such an alluring and engaging fashion on screen.

Carmen

November 1915 •English

A Spanish soldier falls under the spell of a fiery gypsy girl named Carmen. His obsession with her leads to his ruin.

Forbidden Love

July 1921 •English

New England fisherman John Van Zandt sons Harold and Peter are in love with Eileen Arden, though she favors the younger brother Harold. The jealous Peter convinces Eileen that Harold is circulating false rumors about her, then convinces his younger brother to move to Boston. Six years later, John is unable to work so Harold returns to help support the family, finding employment as a lighthouse keeper. Peter jealousy is once again aroused and his drunken rage results in the death of his child, Anne. After realizing that Eileen knows of his deceit years earlier, Peter attempts to kill Harold in the lighthouse, but instead falls to his own death during the ensuing struggle.

A House Divided

April 1919 •English

Orphan Mary Lord, the ward of Sir Arthur Stanhope of Parliament, is attracted to Philip Carmichael, a young politician, who ignores her and goes through a supposedly mock marriage at a wild party with actress Sheelah Delayne. Years later, Philip falls in love with Mary, now married to Sir Arthur, who dies from a stroke when he sees Philip and Mary together. Remorseful, they try to keep apart but eventually marry in France. Later, Sheelah confronts Philip with their son and proof that they are married. When Philip is arrested for bigamy, Mary testifies, to her humiliation, that she and Philip are not married, and then disappears. After her son dies, Sheelah goes to France as a canteen worker and finds Mary wandering in a daze. Feeling pity, Sheelah has her marriage annulled and sends for Philip. When Mary hears soldiers sing a song she used to sing to Philip, she recognizes Philip and they resume their marriage.

As a Man Thinks

April 1919 •English

Prominent New York magazine publisher Frank Clayton visits Paris, France,with his wife Elinor and young son Dick. He is shown around the city by Benjamin De Lota, an art critic who is a contributor to Clayton's magazine, and among the people he introduces to Frank is model Mimi Chardenet. Frank is immediately taken with the young beauty, and they begin an affair. When Elinor happens upon her husband and Mimi walking together, he introduces her as a new writer for his magazine. However, when they return to New York, Elinor learns of his fling with Mimi. Complications ensue.

The Great Victory, Wilson or the Kaiser? The Fall of the Hohenzollerns

January 1919 •English

After a prologue where we are shown the backgrounds of Wilhelm II and Woodrow Wilson, we see the story of Conrad Le Brett from Alsace-Lorraine. Forced to fight for Germany Conrad, sees soldiers taking girls into a church to rape them and kills one who murders a baby. Shot in the encounter he is taken to a Brussels hospital run by nurse Edith Cavell where he falls in love with American nurse, Amy Gordon. After Edith Cavell assassination and the murder of Conrad’s sister Vilma by the evil Lieutenant Ober Conrad honors her dying request that he go to America and defend Alsace-Lorraine's reputation. Once there he convinces President Wilson that Alsatians should be allowed to enlist. Fighting with the "doughboys," Conrad kills Ober, and after the armistice, returns to Amy.

Scandalous Tongues

October 1922 •English

Nell Bradley, the daughter of a wealthy bootlegger, who is encouraged to improve herself through education by Reverend Charles Alden.

Inside the Lines

July 1930 •English

During World War I, German spies will stop at nothing to spy on the allied war plans stored at Gibraltar.