Venice Film Festival showcases restored "Do Bigha Zamin"
This year's Venice International Film Festival (Aug 27-Sept 6, 2025) is celebrating Bimal Roy's legendary film Do Bigha Zamin with a special 4K screening.
It's part of the Venice Classics lineup, marking Roy's 116th birth anniversary—a pretty cool nod to Indian cinema history.
Restoration took over 3 years
Restoring this 1953 gem took over three years, thanks to a team effort by the Film Heritage Foundation, The Criterion Collection, and Janus Films.
They repaired old negatives from India's National Film Archive and filled in gaps with help from the British Film Institute.
The restored version will be presented by Roy's children alongside Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.
More about the film
Do Bigha Zamin isn't just old-school—it changed Indian cinema with its real-world storytelling and social themes.
Inspired by Tagore's poem Dui Bigha Jomi, it picked up big wins like Cannes's Prix International in 1954 and several Filmfare Awards, making it a must-watch for anyone curious about film history.