The Bengali

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The Bengali

Released Sep 9, 2022

1h 12m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

71%

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7 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

An unlikely quest takes an African-American woman from New Orleans across deep divides of culture to India, in search of her family's past. Her journey sparks a boldly different encounter between East and West. As she searches for the truth in the tales she grew up with, a surprising story unfolds of the first South Asians in the U.S. who married African-American women. It evokes the richness and wonder of families stretching across time and place, looking for where they come from.

Robert Abele

TheWrap

Something tells me the off-camera conversations Kaish and Kaul had are more interesting than what we see in “The Bengali.”

Sep 15, 2022

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Beandrea July

New York Times

The documentary meanders from scene to scene without sufficient dramatic tension (or relevant historical context) to propel it forward into denouement.

Sep 8, 2022

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Nuha Hassan

Nuha Hassan

The Bengali teaches about the importance of family, cultural values and languages, and how communities are close-knit in many communities.

Jul 21, 2023

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Valerie Kalfrin

AWFJ.org

The lyrical and poetic documentary The Bengali is about assumptions, stories handed down through generations, and how simple moments can dissolve resistance.

Sep 12, 2022

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Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

Mildly engaging and illuminating, but limited in scope and incomplete.

Sep 10, 2022

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Q.V. Hough

Vague Visages

There's plenty of skepticism to be found in The Bengali; however, that's just the starting point for an important conversation about first encounters, cultural education and life-changing travel experiences.

Feb 18, 2022

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Jezra Kaye

This excellent and visually stunning film follows a Black woman from New Orleans on her journey to the rural hamlet in India where her grandfather grew up. Her search for Bengali relatives runs up against the suspicions of villagers who've never met an American before, and don't trust her motives. The results are moving, surprising, and deeply human. Don't miss it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/18/22

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Kavery Kaul

Director

Fatima Shaik

Self

Nicole Hardin

Self

Mario Tio

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Sophia Little

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Synopsis

An unlikely quest takes an African-American woman from New Orleans across deep divides of culture to India, in search of her family's past. Her journey sparks a boldly different encounter between East and West. As she searches for the truth in the tales she grew up with, a surprising story unfolds of the first South Asians in the U.S. who married African-American women. It evokes the richness and wonder of families stretching across time and place, looking for where they come from.

Director: Kavery Kaul
Producer: Lucas Groth, Kavery Kaul
Screenwriter: Kavery Kaul
Distributor: Dada Films
Production Co: Riverfilms
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 9, 2022, Limited
Runtime: 1h 12m