India Song
| India Song | |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | Marguerite Duras |
| Produced by | Stephane Tchalgadileff |
| Written by | Marguerite Duras |
| Starring |
Delphine Seyrig Michel Lonsdale Mathieu Carrière Claude Mann Vernon Dobtcheff Didier Flamand Françoise Lebrun |
| Music by | Carlos d'Alessio |
| Cinematography | Bruno Nuytten |
| Edited by | Solange Leprince |
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Production
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Release date
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Running time
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115 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Budget | ₣254,542 |
India Song is a 1975 French drama film directed by Marguerite Duras. India Song stars Delphine Seyrig, Michael Lonsdale, Mathieu Carrière, Claude Mann, Vernon Dobtcheff and Didier Flamand. The film centres on Anne-Marie (Seyrig), the promiscuous wife of the French ambassador in India, and was based on an unproduced play written by Duras (which itself was based on her published novel Le Vice-Consul). Although set in India, the film was shot mostly on location in a mansion in Paris.
The film was followed by a sequel Son nom de Venise dans Calcutta désert in 1976.
Anne-Marie Stretter (Delphine Seyrig) is the wife of the French ambassador in India in the 1930s. Growing bored with the oppressive lifestyle she leads, she begins to compulsively sleep with other men to alleviate her situation. The Vice-Consul of Lahore (Michael Lonsdale) fails in his attempts to begin a love affair with her. Her husband knows of her indiscretions, but is tolerant of her promiscuity.
The script for India Song was based on an unproduced play which Marguerite Duras finished in July 1972. The play had been commissioned for the Royal National Theatre by Peter Hall. Duras had only visited India briefly in her teens, but chose to not watch any photographs from Calcutta while she worked on India Song, preferring to imagine it all.
The film cost 254,542 francs to produce, of which 250,000 came from the CNC. Dominique Sanda was the first choice for the leading role, but dropped out and was replaced by Seyrig. Finding the main location took several months; eventually Duras chose the Palais Rothschild in Boulogne, which she had seen during a walk and which had impressed her. The Rothschild family had abandoned the building after World War II and it had started to dilapidate. Other scenes were shot at the Grand Trianon in Versaille, and in two Paris apartments which were about to be demolished. Filming started May 13, 1974 and lasted two months. The voices were pre-recorded.
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