In Custody / The Proprietor - Two Films by Ismail Merchant (Cohen Film Collection)

[MifuneFan]

Cohen Film Collection (via Kino distribution) will be releasing a double-feature of films from Ismail Merchant, In Custody (1994), and The Proprietor (1996), on March 25th. Among other extras, Marchant's short film Mahatma and The Mad Boy (1974) will also be included.

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In Custody follows university scholar Deven (Om Puri), who is tasked by a magazine editor to interview the greatest living Urdu poet, the aging Nur (Shashi Kapoor). Thrilled to meet his idol and rekindle his interest in the dying Urdu language, Deven's ideals are shattered when the poet proves to be a difficult subject. Forging ahead, and meeting numerous setbacks along the way, the unlikely pair eventually form a bond over their mutual appreciation for the beauty and power of words, and those elusive things that touch the human heart.

The Proprietor tells the story of Adrienne Mark (Jeanne Moreau), a respected French-Jewish writer who lives in New York - a virtual prisoner of her memories of growing up in wartime France. When her childhood home is placed up for auction, Adrienne’s desire to purchase the property and return to her homeland is complicated by feelings of betrayal, persecution and lingering secrets regarding her mother’s death during World War II. It is a touching tale about change, friendship and of reconciling with one’s past as a way to make peace with the present

Extras

DISC 1: IN CUSTODY BONUS FEATURES

• Conversations From the Quad: James Ivory and Nasheed Qamar Faruqi Discuss IN CUSTODY
• Three legacy interviews featuring Ismail Merchant, Shashi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and Om Puri
• Original trailer

DISC 2: THE PROPRIETOR BONUS FEATURES

• Audio Commentary by Film Critic Wade Major
• MAHATMA & THE MAD BOY (1974) short film directed by Ismail Merchant