Nandita Raman: “Cinema Play House”

March 3 – April 23, 2011

Nandita Raman’s series, “Cinema Play House,” was recently awarded the prestigious Daylight Magazine/Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University Project Prize. This work focuses on the interiors of old theaters in her home country of India. Built between 1930 and 1960, these grand theaters have largely been replaced by generic multiplexes. Through her quiet and beautiful images, Raman explores her childhood memories and provides insight about the people who built and occupied these spaces.

Nandita Raman is a photographer pursuing an MFA at Bard-International Center for Photography, NY. Born in Varanasi, India, she studied Graphic Communication in National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi, and began working in films soon after. She directed documentaries and managed production of international documentaries and ad films. But it was in photography that she found her voice. She worked with photographers such as Fazal Sheikh, Dayanita Singh, Robert Polidori and Kenro Izu which exposed her to the unique ways of approaching the medium and the subject. Her initial work on Cinema Halls in India was exhibited in Flatfile Gallery, Chicago.

Click on the video below to hear a podcast about the “Cinema Play House” series, or read more at www.ramannandita.blogspot.com

Nandita Raman: Cinema Playhouse from Daylight Multimedia on Vimeo.