电影如蝴蝶,标致而短寿。千机万变捉住美好固已难能宝贵,留住永久之美,庶几无憾。印度天气潮热,多亏人称「奈尔师长」的印度电影保育之父,无数接近损毁边沿的珍贵作品,得以保存修复。由门票收藏家变身胶卷卫士,不避跋涉直入穷乡拯救烟没的电影,奈尔走过的路可有十万八千里?看着旧片重 温、各式建造公司商标的片头蒙太奇,印度电影史彷佛就在经他保存的影框之间无言揭露。遑论波兰大师赞禄西、斯里兰卡国宝培里斯等如虎添翼的访谈,直构一场知性大丰收。
Henri Langlois, the French film preservation pioneer, had it easy compared to P. K. Nair. Nair, the founder of the National Film Archive of India, has been instrumental in salvaging his country's cinematic heritage, from early silent films to regional cinema to even popular Hindi movies. He has also been a teacher to a host of filmmakers, including this documentary's director. Heartfelt and illuminating, this is a celebration of cinema and a man who spends his life safeguarding film for future generations.