Branches of the Tree (Satyajit Ray; India, 1990)

Family ties turn into family binds in this tale of a dying patriarch and his four sons, none of whom are ready to forget their past. Gathering to wait out their father’s illness (or wait for his death), three of his “successful” sons have returned from Calcutta; a fourth, considered a failure and possibly even mentally ill, has always stayed by his side, preferring to listen to music than join the outside world. As the family waits and watches, old resentments simmer, and new secrets emerge; have those who seem successful in business truly been successful in life? “On Ray’s screen, everything moves and breathes, everything has nuance and depth” (Jean-Michel Frodon, Le Monde).

• Written by Ray. Photographed by Barun Raha. With Soumitra Chatterjee, Ranjit Mullick, Deepankarde, Mamata Shandar. (120 mins, In Bengali with English subtitles, 35mm, From Satyajit Ray Film and Study Center, courtesy Academy Film Archive)