Kolkata: An exhibition of cameras dating back to the early 20th century till this date was inaugurated at the 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) on Saturday by noted film director Prakash Jha.

Mr Jha described the equipment, many of which he had been familiar  with in his long film career, as important chapters of history and  part of our destiny.

“I am pleasantly surprised you have thought about this. Most of these cameras which I have worked on — Bolex, Arriflex Blimp —are all part of our journey. For me it is a trip into the legacy of cinema,” Mr Jha said after inaugurating the show.

Paying compliments to the organisers for hosting the exhibition on the sidelines of screening of films, he said, “truly there was great passion into collecting all  these and putting up in an exhibition.”

“All the film lovers of the city will be looking with eagerness at this which adds a new chapter and will go a long way in understanding cinema,” the Gangaajal maker said.
Ranging from 

Bell & Howell’s 35 mm motion picture camera in 1907, the silent era Super Parve used by Sergei Eisenstein, the 35 mm Arriflex 

Blimp of 1937, Bell & Howell’s 1925 era Eyemo used for newsreel production in world war II till the digital era camera, there are around 15 camera equipment. The exhibition also has posters of retro era Bengali films and Satyajit Ray classic ‘Jalsaghar’.

“The exhibits include camera equipment used by directors like Lumiere Brothers, Ray and Ritwik Ghatak and film students and the enthusiasts can learn a lot about our glorious history and how cinema evolved through its medium in the past century,” principal secretary, Information and Cultural Affairs department Vivek Mr Kumar said.

The 23rd Kolkata International Film Festivalwas inaugurated on Friday and will continue till November 17.