Columbia University Libraries now has an ongoing trial of Asian Film Online through December 31, 2013. We are considering purchase from Alexander Street Press. This is the result of a partnership between Asia Pacific Films and Alexander Street Press.

South Asian languages represented in this film streaming collection include:

Bengali – 23 films from Bangladesh and India, including directors such as Tanvir Mokammel, Aparna Sen, Bappaditya Bandopadhyay, Moinak Biswas, and others

Farsi – 57 films from Iran

Hindi – 45 films, including such directors as Basu Chatterjee, Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Sudhir Mishra, and others

Malayalam – 5 films, including one of my favorites, Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Four Women  

Marathi – 2 films, including Amol Palekar’s The Raw Mango

Nepali – 5 films

Oriya – 2 films

Sinhala – 14 films from Sri Lanka, including portrayals of the social repercussions of the recent civil war on everyday life. Directors represented include Prasanna Vithanage, Dharmasena Pathiraja, Asoka Handagama, and others

Tamil – 1 film from India, and 1 from Sri Lanka

Telugu – 2 films

Asian Film Online offers a view of Asian culture as seen through the lens of the independent Asian filmmaker. Through a selection curated by film scholars and critics, viewers can explore the impact of globalization and urbanization on people’s everyday lives throughout the greater Asian region. Faculty and students engaged in area studies, anthropology, film studies, philosophy, geography, education, religion, gender studies, world literature, urban development, cross-cultural communication, journalism, social sciences, and humanities will benefit from exploring this rare collection of films that make silent voices heard.