Shyamal Uncle Turns Off the Lights

Shyamal Uncle Turns Off the Lights

2012. India. Directed by Suman Ghosh. With Shyamal Bhattacharya, Suparna Chatterjee, Archana Mandal. His sense of propriety upset by the “wasteful” expense of electricity, a very particular 80-year-old retiree becomes obsessed with getting the streetlights in his Calcutta neighborhood turned off after sunrise. Based on a real incident, Ghosh’s verité-style film is alive with the sights, sounds, and personalities of this old neighborhood, revealing a highly original portrait of modern India. In Bengali; English subtitles. 65 min.