Wes Anderson to present Satyajit Ray's 'Aranyer Din Ratri' 4K version at Cannes Film Festival

The restored version of master filmmaker Satyajit Ray's 1970 film 'Aranyer Din Ratri' will be presented by renowned Hollywood filmmaker Wes Anderson, a self-professed and long-time admirer of Ray at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The Bengali-language film is based on the novel of the same name 'Days and Nights in the Forest' by author Sunil Gangopadhyay, and featured an ensemble cast of Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, Robi Ghosh, Aparna Sen, Sharmila Tagore, and Simi Garewal.

"Anything signed by Satyajit Ray must be cherished and preserved; but the nearly-forgotten 'Days and Nights in the Forest' is a special/particular gem... Made in 1970. Modern and novelistic. Ray worked in terrain perhaps more familiar to Cassavetes.

A clash/negotiation between castes and sexes. Urbans and rurals. Selfish men and their hopes and cruelties and spectacular lack of wisdom. Women who see through them. The great Soumitra Chatterjee: lost but searching. The great Sharmila Tagore: mysterious, cerebral, mesmerizing. From the master, another masterpiece," PTI quoted Anderson's statement issued by the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF).

The foundation has presented and restored the project along with The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project at L'Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with Janus Films, and the Criterion Collection. The funding, as per PTI, was provided by the Golden Globe Foundation, quoting a press release issued by the festival organisers.

The movie, which explored themes of alienation, class, and modernity, followed the story of four city-bred men who escape to the forests of Palamau for a carefree holiday, only to undergo a journey of self-discovery.

The 4K restoration was completed using the original camera and sound negative preserved by producer Purnima Dutta, who will attend the screening along with Tagore, Margaret Bodde, executive director of The Film Foundation, and FHF founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. 'Aranyer Din Ratri' had its world premiere at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the top prize of Golden Bear for Best Film.

The Cannes Classics section will also screen Charlie Chaplin's 'The Gold Rush' to celebrate the movie's centenary year. The film gala will also showcase Alejandro G Inrritu's 'Amores Perros' to mark its 25th anniversary as well as Edward Yang's 'Yi Yi' (2000), John Woo's 'Hard Boiled' (1992), and Sri Lankan filmmaker Sumitra Peries' 'Gehenu Lamai' (1978), and Marcel Pagnol's 'Merlusse' (1935). 

Last year, the 4K restored version of Shyam Benegal's 'Manthan' (1976) was screened in the same section at the prestigious gala. The festival, which will begin on May 13, will conclude on May 24.