Rossellini traded neorealism for elephants and Nehru—251 minutes of hypnotic colonial gaze.
Season 1 • Episode 10
LatestIn this long journey through India, with a total running time of 251 minutes, viewers have the opportunity to discover, among other things, the city of Bombay at that time, the fishermen of Versova, the eating habits of Indians, regions such as Malabar and Bengal, India’s diverse wildlife, and the work of then–Prime Minister Nehru, one of the most ardent supporters of Rossellini’s project.
Cinematography
Stunning 35mm compositions that influenced every nature doc since.
Direction
Rossellini's patient, wandering eye treats India as mystery, not spectacle.
Production
Nehru's personal backing gave unprecedented government access.
Creator
Roberto Rossellini
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Funded by Italian state television and Indian government, this was among the first international co-productions of its kind, essentially inventing the prestige documentary miniseries format decades before Planet Earth.
Rossellini later admitted he made this to escape his collapsed marriage to Ingrid Bergman; the wandering, observational style mirrors his own emotional displacement.
IT
