Press Releases

Theme America in 33^rd Kolkata Book fair
AMERICAN CENTER PRESENTS A FILM FESTIVAL OF CLASSICS

January 10, 2008

Kolkata: The American Center, in collaboration with the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, is organizing a literary American film festival beginning Monday, January 14 as part of the 2008 Kolkata Book Fair celebrations.  The five-day long film festival - "Page To Screen" - will feature all-time Hollywood hits based on famous literary works including Lolita, Streetcar Named Desire, The Color Purple, Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz, and Grapes of Wrath.

The United States is the Theme Country of this year's book fair.  The Kolkata U.S. Consulate, along with other organizations, will present a series of programs to showcase different aspects of American life, culture, art and literature. The U.S. pavilion will offer programs with the famous American writer Paul Theroux and other prominent authors, academics, and artists.  Mr. Theroux will deliver the inaugural lecture on January 29 at 5 p.m. in the main pavilion and later present book reading sessions.

Famous literary works have always inspired filmmakers to turn the pages into vivid storytelling on the screen. Director Stanley Kubrick created a masterpiece out of Vladimir Nobokov’s highly controversial novel Lolita, a story about a divorced British professor who falls hopelessly in love with a 14-year old girl. The Oscar winning film Street Car Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams and directed by Elia Kazan, revolves around the life of two sisters.  Stephen Spielberg tells the story of a young black girl's life in early 20^th century society in The Color Purple.  Victor Fleming's Gone With The Wind, based on Margaret Mitchell's classic novel about the American Civil War, became an all-time-hit on celluloid.  Victor Fleming directed the fantasy movie the Wizard of Oz which is based on L. Frank Baum's popular stories about Dorothy and her dog Toto.  Jane Ford filmed John Steinbeck's famous novel Grapes of Wrath, which narrates the story of a jail returnee, his reunion with his family, and his search for a new and better life. 

The venue of the program is the American Center’s Lincoln Room. Screenings will begin promptly at 6:00 P.M, Monday-Thursday, January 14-17. On Friday, January 18, there will be two shows at 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. respectively.  Free passes are being distributed from the American Center reception counter on a first-come, first-serve basis.