Shatabarshe Chalachchitra 1 by Nirmalya Acharya & Dibyendu Palit [Hardcover]

One hundred years ago, on December 28, 1895, when Louis and Auguste Lumière showcased their Cinématographe in Paris, the birth of cinema took place. On that day, no one could have imagined that this modest beginning would gradually expand into an immense phenomenon—one that would not only provide vast commercial opportunities but also evolve into a high form of art. The widespread impact and influence of cinema would spread rapidly across the world. With new inventions and improvements in technical quality, creative filmmakers would craft films that would create a new and unique cultural history.

While the contribution of Bengali filmmakers to this prestigious history has long been recognized, the number of reliable books on cinema in the Bengali language remains surprisingly small. To fill this gap, particularly for readers interested in the study of cinema, this unique and thought-provoking anthology titled "Cinema in a Century" has been planned, edited by Nirmalya Acharya and Dibyendu Palit, marking the centenary of world cinema. The book is divided into two self-contained volumes: "Perception and Experience" and "History and Evolution."

This extensive work traces the history of film production from its birth, through the next one hundred years, in various countries around the world. It includes evaluations of works by renowned filmmakers, accounts of the experiences of famous personalities associated with cinema, the history of different genres, key movements, and social, political, and other impacts, along with discussions on the relationship between cinema and other art forms, and many more topics. No such anthology exclusively focused on cinema has been published in Bengali before.

The current volume, titled "Perception and Experience", discusses the various aspects of cinema’s position and creation, with insights and experiences from prominent individuals associated with the medium. It also includes an early history of cinema, alongside previously unexplored trends in Indian and Bengali cinema, the relationship between cinema and literature, poetry, painting, and theater, and several other important subjects. The volume includes forty essays by distinguished contributors, each written specifically for this book and never before published.

The book also contains sixty-three relevant photographs spread across thirty-two pages. For those who watch films and think about them, this anthology will be considered an essential read.