The Divine Visions of Ishu Patel

Internationally esteemed for his stunning animated shorts, two-time Oscar nominee Ishu Patel has influenced and inspired generations of fans and fellow animators with his gorgeously crafted and exquisitely realized films. Often working in completely different techniques for each production, his philosophically rich and deeply affecting films redefined the boundaries of artistry and expression in the world of independent animation. 
 
Born in Gujarat, India, in 1942, Patel was inspired to explore animation through his early experiences with films by Norman McLaren and other National Film Board of Canada (NFB) animators, eventually relocating to Montreal in the early 1970s. Working with the NFB, he went on to create several extraordinary short, experimental animations, as well as organize animation workshops around the world. 
 
This program features six of Patel’s most memorable and visionary works, including his Oscar-nominated films Paradise (1984) and The Bead Game (1977), as well as Afterlife (1978)—his breathtaking rumination on death and transformation, made entirely by animating luminous, backlit plasticine on glass.

Programmed and note by Academy Film Archive Senior Film Preservationist Mark Toscano.
All films directed by Ishu Patel and courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.
Total program runtime: 62 min.
How Death Came to Earth
1971. 15 min. Canada. Color. English. Digital.
Perspectrum
1975. 7 min. Canada. Color. Sound. Digital.
The Bead Game
1977. 6 min. Canada. Color. Sound. Digital.
Paradise
1984. 16 min. Canada. Color. Sound. Digital.
Divine Fate
1993. 10 min. Canada. Color. English. Digital.
Afterlife
1978. 8 min. Canada. Color. English and French titles. Digital.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.

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