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Goddess and Two Daughters in September

4 August 2009

Widely regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema, and the last of the Bengali Renaissance movement which started at the beginning of the 19th century, Satyajit Ray was a giant of Indian cinema. Directing 37 films during his lifetime, he was also a critically lauded fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, graphic designer and film critic, as well as recipient of more than 30 Indian National Films Awards, a winner of numerous international film festivals – including Berlin, Venice and Cannes - and an honorary Academy Award recipient in 1992. Now two of his most celebrated films are finally making their way to DVD courtesy of Mr Bong Films. The Palme D'or nominated Goddess (Devi) and Two Daughters (Teen Kanya) are among Ray's finest and most moving works, and will be released as part of the Satyajit Ray series on 21 September.

In Goddess (Devi), Doyamoyee is left alone with her husband's ageing father-in-law, a devoted follower of the goddess Kali. One evening, the aging widower she cares for has a dream that she is an avatar of Kali, and must be worshipped. Word spreads, and others come to believe that she is an incarnation of the deity. Hearing this alarming news, her husband, Umprasad, returns only to find Doyamoyee herself beginning to believe that she is an avatar; a belief which soon turns to tragedy.

Two Daughters (Teen Kanya) tells two tales. The first is about Nanda, a young man who leaves Calcutta to work as a postmaster in an isolated, malaria-infested village. His only solace in the village is in teaching his host, Ratan, how to read and write. The second story is about a student, Amulya, who returns to his village after finishing his exams. His widowed mother is very anxious for him to marry, and has already picked out a girl. Yet he rejects his mother's choice and, being forced to choose some girl, marries a lively tomboy who is not ready to give up her freedom.

Both Goddess and Two Daughters will be released on UK DVD by Mr. Bongo Films on 21st September 2009 at the RRP of £12.99 each. No extras have been confirmed.