Gianfranco Rosi Retrospective: Boatman + Q&A

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Gianfranco Rosi.

“Why, why why why why?”

Gopal, an indian ferryman mimics the western tourists stunned by Hindu tradition whom he rows across the Ganges, in this documentary about the holy city of Benares where the dead are burned before their ashes are cast into the sacred river. Gianfranco Rosi’s film floats along through a teeming cast of mourners, children, pilgrims, dogs, dead and ashes. A point of departure for the other world, Benares is also where worlds collide with lasting incomprehension.

Boatman, dir. Gianfranco Rosi, Italy 1993, 55 mins