Project 88 is pleased to present Cut-Price Paradise, six animation films by Sarnath Banerjee that explore the idiosyncratic textures of urban life to broadly comment on human behaviour and identity. He playfully dramatizes mundane moments to make viewers reexamine their perceptions of history and the value of knowledge.
1943, English, 7 min, 2007, India Looking through the lens of childhood ambitions, this film addresses the societal and cultural impacts of the Bengal Famine.
Bachelor of 21 Dreams, English, 8 min, 2011, India “Men live in buildings; buildings live in men.” Through his iconic city of gates, Banerjee translates the relationship between a city and its people.
Bengali Tourist, English, 4 min, 2003, India With reference to legendary explorer Ibn Battuta as well as Bengali local Digital Datta, this film questions the value of travel.
Hakim Tartoosi's Potency Oil, English, 21 min, 2001, India A clay animation pokes fun at sexual insecurity fostered in a conservative middle class environment.
Paradise Locked English, 10 min, 2011, India In a backdrop of religious fanaticism, Banerjee investigates individual versus collective identities in campus culture, varying career paths, and family life.
Sophistication is Fragile, English, 6 min, 2009, India The film weighs the value of knowledge, art, and aesthetic markers of civilization against military power.
