Satyajit Ray's 1963 film The Big City (Mahanagar) features a subtly developed friendship between two women of different backgrounds who work in the same office. Their solidarity becomes central to Ray's exploration of the woman protagonist's transforming self-identity in the midst of traditional (home) and modern (workplace) patriarchal systems. I know that Ismael Merchant has sponsored a recent restoration of this film, along with a number of other early films by Ray. Richard Wohlfeiler ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]