Past event
'The Drum': film screening plus panel discussion - £10; concessions available.
On 5 March, Dundee Contemporary Arts will be screening the 1938 film ‘The Drum' from a rare vintage 16mm print, as part of the events programme for Michelle Williams Gamaker's DCA exhibition ‘Our Mountains are Painted on Glass.'
Gamaker bought the unopened film canister on eBay , unsure of its condition or whether it would even be able to be screened, and brought it to DCA during the process of installing her exhibition in late 2023. DCA's expert projection team were able to carefully check and test the film, which will now be shown to audiences in partnership with the University of St Andrews.
An Alexander Korda production set during British colonial rule of India, ‘The Drum' follows Captain Carruthers as he seeks to pacify a brewing rebellion after the governor signs a treaty with the ruler of the Tokot kingdom. The king's son Prince Azim (Sabu) befriends Captain Carruthers and a young drummer from the British military regiment. After the assassination of his father, Prince Azim must hide; after uncovering a secret plot, he must make a decision about where his allegiances lie.
Concluding the screening, a conversation between the artist and film scholar Dr Kulraj Phullar will discuss Michelle Williams Gamaker's collection of film ephemera, the complexity of the film's narrative, the character of Prince Azim, the reception of ‘The Drum' in India, and its intersection with the real life of actor Sabu.
The Department of Film Studies has 30 free places available for staff and students at the University of St Andrews to attend the screening and discussion. If you would like one of these, please drop a line to Prof Glyn Davis: [email protected]. First come, first served!