“City of Photos” film screening, a journey into India’s photogenic side

Come join Highwire Gallery and Space 2033 for a very special screening of “City of Photos”. Nishtha Jain is an award-winning, indie documentrist who was born, raised, and educated in New Delhi.

by Gabrielle Bonghi, External or Unknown

Published May 16, 2011, 10:53 a.m. ET

Come join Highwire Gallery and Space 2033 for a very special screening of "City of Photos". Nishtha Jain is an award-winning, indie documentrist who was born, raised, and educated in New Delhi. Her film explores the less known world of small, shabby Indian photo studios that are strewn throughout certain neighborhoods. The result is beautiful, shocking, and heartfelt.

"City of Photos explores the little known ethos of neighborhood photo studios in Indian cities, discovering entire imaginary worlds in the smallest of spaces. Tiny, shabby studios that appear to be stuck in a time warp turn out to be places throbbing with energy. As full of surprises as the people who frequent these studios are the backdrops they enjoy posing against and the props they choose. These afford fascinating glimpses into individual fantasies and popular tastes. Yet beneath the fun and games runs an undercurrent of foreboding. Not everyone enjoys being photographed; not every backdrop is beautiful; not all photos are taken on happy occasions. The cities in which these stories unfold themselves become backdrops, their gritty urban reality a counterpoint to the photo palaces. Desires, memories and stories, all so deeply linked to the photographic experience, come together as part of a personal journey into the city of photos."

The screening is free but they will be accepting donations for Asha for Education.