Agantuk (The Stranger)

(Bengali, 1991, Satyajit Ray, Not Rated, 2 hrs)

Satyajit Ray’s valedictory film is a multifaceted character study that contains both humor and melancholy rumination. Based on the filmmaker’s own story, Agantuk (The Stranger) involves a bourgeois couple who are taken off guard when a man claiming to be the wife’s long-lost uncle sends word that he will be coming to stay with them after years of travel. Though they fear he’s an impostor, they tentatively let the man into their home, commencing an eye-opening emotional journey for the family. A humanist exploration of class, faith, and tradition versus progress, The Stranger is a bittersweet good-bye from one of the world’s most important filmmakers.

This free, public screening is presented by the 7th annual Roanoke College International Film Series. It will be followed by a panel-led discussion. For more information, visit roanoke.edu/rcifs.

Note: This film screening was rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Grandin Theatre.