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As part of the preview for my screening of Last Film Show (2021), I spoke to its writer, director and producer, Pan Nalin. I was familiar with Nalin’s previous work but this film connected on a deeper level. One reason was that it’s set in Kathiawad, Gujarat, a region in western Indian that my family hails from. It was refreshing to watch an international film set in Kathiawad along with the authentic dialect and food portrayed effortlessly on screen. Another reason was the protagonist’s love for cinema that I could relate to. Over a transatlantic phone interview, Nalin shared fascinating stories from his childhood: attending school illegally with his siblings, sharing his lunchbox with the projectionist at his local theater in exchange for watching unlimited movies countless times, going to the remand home for stealing film reels, watching his first Hollywood film and being surprised at the absence of song and dance, etc. Listen to the complete interview through the podcast link at the top of the page. Please remember to subscribe to the podcast to receive updates of future episodes.
Last Film Show was screened at Epsilon Spires in Brattleboro, Vermont on August 18th 2023 to an incredible response from local audiences. My pre-screening music comprised songs by contemporary artists in the Kathiawadi dialect. Before and during the screening, audiences savored the chai and samosas and shopped for Indian handicrafts some of which I have sourced from Gujarat. Last Film Show was recently given two National awards by the Government of India: ‘Best Gujarati Language Film’ and ‘Best Child Actor’ to Bhavin Rabari who played the protagonist Samay in the film.
