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{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}} | {{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}} | ||
{{Infobox film | {{Infobox film | ||
| name = The Cloud Door | | name = The Cloud Door | ||
| image = The_Cloud_Door_title.jpg | | image = The_Cloud_Door_title.jpg | ||
| caption = Title card | | caption = Title card | ||
| | | director = [[Mani Kaul]] | ||
| starring = [[Anu | | screenplay = Mani Kaul | ||
| music = [[Ustad Zia Fariddudin Dagar]] | | based_on = {{Based on|''Avimaraka''|[[Bhāsa]]}}<br/>{{Based on|''Padmavat''|[[Malik Muhammad Jayasi|Mohammed Jayasi]]}} | ||
| producer = [[Regina Ziegler]]<br />Lalitha Krishna | |||
| starring = [[Anu Aggarwal]]<br/>[[Murad Ali]]<br/>[[Rohit Raj]] | |||
| cinematography= [[Anil Mehta]] | | music = [[Ustad Zia Fariddudin Dagar]] | ||
| editing = Lalitha Krishna | | cinematography = [[Anil Mehta]] | ||
| distributor = | | editing = Lalitha Krishna | ||
| released = {{Film date|1994|09|28|[[New York Film Festival]]|df=y}} | | distributor = | ||
| runtime = 29 minutes | | released = {{Film date|1994|09|28|[[New York Film Festival]]|df=y}} | ||
| country = Germany<br />India | | runtime = 29 minutes | ||
| language = Hindi | | country = Germany<br />India | ||
| budget = | | language = Hindi | ||
| budget = | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''''The Cloud Door''''' ({{ | '''''The Cloud Door''''' ({{langx|hi|बादल द्वार}}, {{langx|de|Die Himmelspforte}}) is a 1994 [[short subject|short]] Indo-German [[drama film]], directed by acclaimed [[India]]n director [[Mani Kaul]] and featuring Hindu erotic literary themes.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/28/movies/film-festival-review-far-from-commercial-and-quirky-to-the-hilt.html |title=Movie Review - Whispering Pages - Film Festival Review; Far From Commercial and Quirky to the Hilt |publisher=movies.nytimes.com |date=28 September 1994 |access-date=2009-03-06 |last=James |first=Caryn |archive-date=4 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204163730/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/28/movies/film-festival-review-far-from-commercial-and-quirky-to-the-hilt.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was produced by the German producer Regina Ziegler. ''The Cloud Door'' was featured along with other short films such as [[Susan Seidelman]]'s ''The Dutch Master'' and [[Ken Russell]]'s ''The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch'', as a part of Ziegler Films' compilation of short [[erotic film]]s called ''Erotic Tales''.<ref>{{cite web | title= Erotic Tales Vol. 1 | website=Amazon UK | url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000AYRKSG | access-date=2009-03-05 }}</ref> | ||
{{cite web |url=https:// | |||
|access-date=2009-03-06 |last=James|first=Caryn}}</ref> The film was produced by the German producer Regina Ziegler. ''The Cloud Door'' was featured along with other short films such as [[Susan Seidelman]]'s ''The Dutch Master'' and [[Ken Russell]]'s ''The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch'', as a part of Ziegler Films' compilation of short [[erotic film]]s called ''Erotic Tales''.<ref>{{cite web | title= Erotic Tales Vol. 1 | url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000AYRKSG | access-date=2009-03-05 }}</ref> | |||
[[Mani Kaul]] drew upon three literary sources for it: the [[Sanskrit]] play ''Avimaraka'', written by [[Bhāsa]] around 5th-7th century; the [[Sufi]] epic love poem ''[[Padmavat]]'', written by [[Malik Muhammad Jayasi|Mohammed Jayasi]] in the 13th century; and the erotic Indian tales ''[[Śukasaptati]]''.<ref name=" | [[Mani Kaul]] drew upon three literary sources for it: the [[Sanskrit]] play ''Avimaraka'', written by [[Bhāsa]] around 5th-7th century; the [[Sufi]] epic love poem ''[[Padmavat]]'', written by [[Malik Muhammad Jayasi|Mohammed Jayasi]] in the 13th century; and the erotic Indian tales ''[[Śukasaptati]]''.<ref name="Ziegler" /> | ||
==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
An Indian king overhears a parrot telling erotic stories to his daughter. Enraged, he wishes to kill the parrot. The princess intervenes and saves the parrot's life by explaining to her father that the bird does not know what it is saying. In gratitude, the bird flies to the princess's lover and leads him through a labyrinth to the princess's private chambers. The princess and the lover spend the night making love.<ref name=" | An Indian king overhears a parrot telling erotic stories to his daughter. Enraged, he wishes to kill the parrot. The princess intervenes and saves the parrot's life by explaining to her father that the bird does not know what it is saying. In gratitude, the bird flies to the princess's lover and leads him through a labyrinth to the princess's private chambers. The princess and the lover spend the night making love.<ref name="Ziegler">{{cite web | title=The Cloud Door | url=http://www.ziegler-film.com/en/productions/erotictales/produktion/die-himmelspforte.html | access-date=2011-06-04 | publisher=Ziegler Films | archive-date=28 July 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728135303/http://www.ziegler-film.com/en/productions/erotictales/produktion/die-himmelspforte.html | url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
In January 1995, ''The Cloud Door'' was screened once for the public at the [[International Film Festival of India]] in Mumbai as | In January 1995, ''The Cloud Door'' was screened once for the public at the [[International Film Festival of India]] in Mumbai as part of the ''Erotic Tales'' program. Kaul, known for his aesthetic work, had never previously made an Indian erotic film, despite the country's rich history of erotic folk art and literature. The single-screening of the film caused an uproar due to its erotic nature and on-screen nudity, and resulted in the police being called in to prevent rioting.<ref name="Ziegler"/> An extra screening, exclusively for the press, was held later at a different venue.<ref name="Ziegler"/> The film was also screened at the Munich Film Festival, [[Locarno International Film Festival]], [[New York Film Festival]] and the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flahertyseminar.org/?sb=2&mb=3&yr=0#1994|title=Films screened at The Robert Flaherty Film Seminar|publisher=www.flahertyseminar.org|access-date=2009-03-07|date=|archive-date=25 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725044242/http://www.flahertyseminar.org/?sb=2&mb=3&yr=0#1994|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] reviewer Todd McCarty said the film "features pictorial beauty, slow-building sensuality and surprising humor that combine to rich effect".<ref>{{cite web|url=https:// | [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] reviewer Todd McCarty said the film "features pictorial beauty, slow-building sensuality and surprising humor that combine to rich effect".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/the-cloud-door-1200438102/|title=The Cloud Door Review - Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie The Cloud Door|publisher=www.variety.com|access-date=2009-03-06|date=31 August 1994|last=McCarthy|first=Todd|archive-date=20 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920172046/https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/the-cloud-door-1200438102/|url-status=live}}</ref> The reviewer for the [[New York Times]] said that the film, when viewed with subtitles and deprived of its cultural context of Muslim and Hindu literature, "becomes a succession of brightly colored images that almost tell a story: a beautiful woman, perhaps a courtesan; a green, long-tailed parrot who repeats the erotic phrases he's picked up in her room; potential lovers; a fish that laughs".<ref name="nytimes"/> Another review observed that ''The Cloud Door'' has plenty of humorous and sensual imagery and flows like a folk tale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goethe.de/ins/au/lp/prj/flm/arc/fpc/en1602407.htm|title=The Cloud Door|publisher=Goethe-Institut Australien|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405143539/http://www.goethe.de/ins/au/lp/prj/flm/arc/fpc/en1602407.htm|archive-date=5 April 2008|url-status=dead|access-date=2009-03-05}}</ref> Beautiful nothingness perhaps, but still nothingness. Certainly, the actors here are very attractive, and the costumes and sets are gorgeous, but the story has very few memorable moments to make this film memorable. | ||
|title=The Cloud Door Review - Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie The Cloud Door|publisher=www.variety.com|access-date=2009-03-06 | |||
|date=31 August 1994|last=McCarthy|first=Todd}}</ref> The reviewer for the [[New York Times]] said that the film, when viewed with subtitles and deprived of its cultural context of Muslim and Hindu literature, "becomes a succession of brightly colored images that almost tell a story: a beautiful woman, perhaps a courtesan; a green, long-tailed parrot who repeats the erotic phrases he's picked up in her room; potential lovers; a fish that laughs".<ref name="nytimes"/> Another review observed that ''The Cloud Door'' has plenty of humorous and sensual imagery and flows like a folk tale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goethe.de/ins/au/lp/prj/flm/arc/fpc/en1602407.htm|title=The Cloud Door|publisher=Goethe-Institut Australien|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405143539/http://www.goethe.de/ins/au/lp/prj/flm/arc/fpc/en1602407.htm|archive-date=5 April 2008|url-status=dead|access-date=2009-03-05}}</ref> Beautiful nothingness perhaps, but still nothingness. Certainly, | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 42: | Line 39: | ||
* {{IMDb title|id=0112694|title=The Cloud Door}} | * {{IMDb title|id=0112694|title=The Cloud Door}} | ||
{{Mani Kaul}} | {{Mani Kaul}} | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cloud Door}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Cloud Door}} | ||
[[Category:1994 short films]] | [[Category:1994 short films]] | ||
[[Category:1994 films]] | [[Category:1994 films]] | ||
[[Category:Indian drama short films]] | |||
[[Category:Indian short films]] | [[Category:1994 Hindi-language films]] | ||
[[Category: | |||
[[Category:Indian erotic drama films]] | [[Category:Indian erotic drama films]] | ||
[[Category:Films directed by Mani Kaul]] | [[Category:Films directed by Mani Kaul]] | ||
[[Category:German erotic drama films]] | [[Category:German erotic drama films]] | ||
[[Category:German short films]] | [[Category:German drama short films]] | ||
[[Category:Indian films based on plays]] | [[Category:Indian films based on plays]] | ||
[[Category:Films based on Indian folklore]] | [[Category:Films based on Indian folklore]] | ||
[[Category:1994 German films]] | |||
Latest revision as of 05:15, 4 March 2026
| The Cloud Door | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Directed by | Mani Kaul |
| Produced by | Regina Ziegler Lalitha Krishna |
| Screenplay by | Mani Kaul |
| Based on | Avimaraka by Bhāsa Padmavat by Mohammed Jayasi |
| Starring | Anu Aggarwal Murad Ali Rohit Raj |
| Music by | Ustad Zia Fariddudin Dagar |
| Cinematography | Anil Mehta |
| Edited by | Lalitha Krishna |
Release date |
|
Running time | 29 minutes |
| Country | Germany India |
| Language | Hindi |
The Cloud Door (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) is a 1994 short Indo-German drama film, directed by acclaimed Indian director Mani Kaul and featuring Hindu erotic literary themes.[1] The film was produced by the German producer Regina Ziegler. The Cloud Door was featured along with other short films such as Susan Seidelman's The Dutch Master and Ken Russell's The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch, as a part of Ziegler Films' compilation of short erotic films called Erotic Tales.[2]
Mani Kaul drew upon three literary sources for it: the Sanskrit play Avimaraka, written by Bhāsa around 5th-7th century; the Sufi epic love poem Padmavat, written by Mohammed Jayasi in the 13th century; and the erotic Indian tales Śukasaptati.[3]
Plot[edit | edit source]
An Indian king overhears a parrot telling erotic stories to his daughter. Enraged, he wishes to kill the parrot. The princess intervenes and saves the parrot's life by explaining to her father that the bird does not know what it is saying. In gratitude, the bird flies to the princess's lover and leads him through a labyrinth to the princess's private chambers. The princess and the lover spend the night making love.[3]
Reception[edit | edit source]
In January 1995, The Cloud Door was screened once for the public at the International Film Festival of India in Mumbai as part of the Erotic Tales program. Kaul, known for his aesthetic work, had never previously made an Indian erotic film, despite the country's rich history of erotic folk art and literature. The single-screening of the film caused an uproar due to its erotic nature and on-screen nudity, and resulted in the police being called in to prevent rioting.[3] An extra screening, exclusively for the press, was held later at a different venue.[3] The film was also screened at the Munich Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival, New York Film Festival and the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar.[4]
Variety reviewer Todd McCarty said the film "features pictorial beauty, slow-building sensuality and surprising humor that combine to rich effect".[5] The reviewer for the New York Times said that the film, when viewed with subtitles and deprived of its cultural context of Muslim and Hindu literature, "becomes a succession of brightly colored images that almost tell a story: a beautiful woman, perhaps a courtesan; a green, long-tailed parrot who repeats the erotic phrases he's picked up in her room; potential lovers; a fish that laughs".[1] Another review observed that The Cloud Door has plenty of humorous and sensual imagery and flows like a folk tale.[6] Beautiful nothingness perhaps, but still nothingness. Certainly, the actors here are very attractive, and the costumes and sets are gorgeous, but the story has very few memorable moments to make this film memorable.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 James, Caryn (28 September 1994). "Movie Review - Whispering Pages - Film Festival Review; Far From Commercial and Quirky to the Hilt". movies.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
- ↑ "Erotic Tales Vol. 1". Amazon UK. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "The Cloud Door". Ziegler Films. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ↑ "Films screened at The Robert Flaherty Film Seminar". www.flahertyseminar.org. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
- ↑ McCarthy, Todd (31 August 1994). "The Cloud Door Review - Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie The Cloud Door". www.variety.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
- ↑ "The Cloud Door". Goethe-Institut Australien. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2009.