Title from title frames

"We live the way the British live. Indians live their own way," declares Mrs Olga Walsh of the Tollygunge Home, a refuge for 35 elderly Anglo-Indians hidden away in the middle of noisy, vibrant Calcutta. In stark contrast to the rest of post-colonial India, the residents of Tollygunge cling to the belief that Britain is their true home. Anglo-Indians trace their origins back to the 17th century when the British East Indian Company encouraged marriages between British men and Indian women to further its commercial interests. After India won independence in 1947, two-thirds of the Anglo-Indian community emigrated to other parts of the British Commonwealth, first to Britain and later to Canada and Australia. As Christmas approaches, preparations begin for the annual party. We meet Louis Robertson, once an engineer and now the Home's music man who plays everything from swing to opera on his old cassette player which he claims has "medically cured" many of the residents. Reeves McDermott and Jimmy Carr dance their cares away in the gents' dormitory while a new resident, Hortencia Loxton, waits anxiously for a visit from her son. Gladys Minwalla and her friend Elsie Martin reminisce about a time when "manners and politeness" reigned. And Phyllis Robertson, who despises curry because "it makes your skin dark", fancies a mutton stew. Overseeing the celebrations is the Bengali chairperson of the management committee, the formidable Mrs Nilima Dutta. Although herself a Hindu, she has organised this Christian ritual for the past 28 years, hiring a band to play Christmas carols, bringing out the fine bone china for tea and proudly standing with everyone else to sing God Save the Queen. A Calcutta Christmas is a gentle portrait of life inside the Tollygunge Home. It observes the anger, jealousies and loneliness of this forgotten community, showing how it survives through friendships, love and laughter... and a different sense of belonging. A Film Australia National Interest Program. Produced in association with SBS Independent. Copyright - 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Executive Producer: Sharon Connolly, Megan McMurchy Producer: Denise Haslem Director: Maree Delofski Writer: Maree Delofski DOP/Cinematographer: Himman Dhamija Narrator/Presenter: Rachael Blake

In Process Record

Originally produced by National Film and Sound Archive of Australia in 1998

Mode of access: World Wide Web

In English