SUMMER SONATA-A FESTIVAL OF OPERA, BALLET AND CONCERT FILMS
Dedicated to the Memory of Dr. R.P. Jain and Prof. Samaresh Chatterji
Curated and introduced by Sunit Tandon

BALLET
Adolphe Adam: Giselle
(115 min; 2016; dvd)

From The Royal Ballet, with Marianela Nuñez (Giselle); Vadim Muntagirov (Count Albrecht); Bennet Gartside (Hilarion); Johannes Stepanek (Wilfred); Elizabeth McGorian (Berthe); Gary Avis (the Duke of Courland); Christina Arestis (Bathilde); Itziar Mendizabal (Myrtha); Olivia Cowley (Moyna); Beatriz Stix-Brunell (Zulme)

Choreography: Marius Petipa after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Concert Master: Peter Manning
Conductor: Barry Wordsworth

With its story of love, a betrayed village girl, ghosts and redemption, Giselle is the quintessential Romantic ballet and has remained a cornerstone of the classical repertory since its premiere in 1841. Giselle is one of the most challenging and demanding roles in the repertory and has always been a showcase for exceptional ballerinas.
 

Pots of Millet, Faces of Gold: Transformation
(78 min; English)
An ethnographic film by Richard K. Wolf

The film will be introduced by Prof. Richard K. Wolf, Professor of Ethnomusicology, Harvard University

Screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker moderated by Dr. Shubha Chaudhuri, Associate Director General (Academic), Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology, American Institute of Indian Studies

This is the first in a series of films about the Kota indigenous people of South India, thematizing the passing of historical time, the periods of an individual’s life, and the way the viewer experiences time through the “lenses” of changing technology. Composed primarily of footage and sound the ethnomusicologist Richard K. Wolf collected in the course of fieldwork, 1990-2025, the film also bears the imprint of Wolf’s emerging relationship with the Kota, sometimes as participants, sometimes as observer

(Collaboration: American Institute of Indian Studies)

Raghu Rai: Waiting for the Divine
By Rachna Singh (Hawakal Publishers: 2024)

Discussants: Shri Raghu Rai, well-known phototographer and photojournalist ; Ms Roobina Karode, Director & Chief Curator, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi; Dr. Rachna Singh, author and Editor of The Wise Owl, a literary & art online magazine and author of the book

Moderator: Dr. Mandira Nayar, journalist and Deputy Bureau Chief, The Week
 

Speakers: Shri Bikram Singh Sajwan, former Expert Member, National Green Tribunal; Prof. A.K. Gosain, former Professor of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi; Dr. Vivek Saxena, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Member Secretary, State Biodiversity Board, Haryana; and Prof. Akshay Kaul, ecological planner, landscape designer and sustainable development architect

Discussant: Dr. Yogita Shukla, Founder and CEO AddGEO Foundation
Moderator: Suhas Borker, Founder Member, Green Circle of Delhi and Editor, Citizens First TV (CFTV)

Chair: Justice Abhay S. Oka, former Judge, Supreme Court of India

This series is dedicated to the memory of Shri Mahesh. N. Buch, civil servant and environmentalist, who passed away on 6 June in 2015 and who had given the key-note address at the inaugural edition of the Dialogue in 2013.

(Collaboration: Green Circle of Delhi)
 

Speakers: Ms Urmi Goswami, Assistant Editor, The Economic Times;  Dr. S. Sreekesh, Professor, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University; and Dr. Srikanta K. Panigrahi, Director General, Distinguished Fellow, Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD)

India, as we understand, is now prioritizing climate adaptation and looking at a bottom-up approach through ground-level initiatives, while mitigation measures will continue. Even as efforts for emission cuts remain critical, reducing the vulnerability of communities across the country is now the focus of climate action in the country. The speakers will address the issue of India’s climate action plan; the changing global dynamics and India’s stance; and the way forward

(Collaboration: Toxics Link)
 

A talk by K.K. Shailaja, popularly known as Shailaja Teacher, her exemplary leadership during the COVID-19 crises in Kerala earned her global recognition. Former Minister of Health, Women & Child, and Social Justice with the Govt. of Kerala, she was named as one of the most influential women in 2020 by the Financial Times and Kerala’s Acclaimed Health Minister by The Guardian. Shailaja currently serves as an MLA in the Kerala Legislative Assembly

(Collaboration: Business & Community Foundation)
 

From Eight with Art – Painting the Soul of North East India

A collection of paintings by artists who are deeply engaged with the transformation of their surroundings. The exhibition charts the shifting contours of identity, place, and expression. At the crossroads of the old and the new – drawing from ancestral stories, craft techniques, and visual traditions, while responding to contemporary realities, urbanization, technology, climate, and redefined notions of self and community.

Curated by Sentila T. Yanger

On view are works by Sujit Das from Assam; Phaibhakupar Karlukhi from Meghalaya; Millan Laishram from Manipur; Lalhming Mawii aka Amoii from Mizoram; Mrinmoy Debbarman from Tripura; Tase Vinei from Nagaland; Pill Reniya from Arunachal Pradesh; and Karma Tenrab from Sikkim

Inauguration on Thursday, 30 May 2026 at 18:30

(Collaboration: Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region)

Lead presentation by Shri Asok Kumar G., IAS (retd.), Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research and formerly Director General, the National Mission for Clean Ganga

Followed by a panel discussion

Panelists: Shri D.P. Mathuria, Chief Engineer, Central Water Commission; Shri Manu Bhatnagar, Principal Director, INTACH Natural Heritage Division; and Dr. Srinivas Chokkakula, President and Chief Executive, Centre for Policy Research

The river Yamuna or Kalindi is not only the most important tributary of the river Ganga, but also has a standing on her own. It flows almost parallel to the Ganga before merging with it at Prayagraj. Although steeped in mythology and has witnessed historical events, the river in recent years has been facing an existential crisis. Its 22 km stretch of Delhi witnesses its deadly phase – dark stagnant water for most of the year. Many attempts have been made to rejuvenate and revive it. The Yamuna Action Plan did not deliver the expected results. Shri Asok Kumar G. will engage with the idea of reviving the Yamuna building on his rich experience of leading the National Mission for Clean Ganga

(Collaboration: Centre for Policy Research)