After Cinema Paradiso & The Fabelmans: “La Dernière Séance” – A Hope-Filled Cinema Tribute!

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A Personal and Universal Tale Born in the Shadows of Movie Theaters

In 2010, in rural India, 9-year-old Samay (Bhavin Rabari) discovers cinema and falls deeply in love with it. Thanks to his secret friendship with the village projectionist (Bhavesh Shrimali), he experiences his passion from the projection booth, just as the era of 35 mm film is coming to an end, threatening to extinguish the magic that binds them.

Pan Nalin, an Indian filmmaker who rose to international fame with “Samsara,” earning over thirty awards, and “Angry Indian Goddesses,” which won the Audience Award at the Rome Film Festival in 2015, presents “La Dernière séance,” a personal and sensory film. More than just a coming-of-age story, this feature film serves as a love letter to cinema, inspired by the childhood memories of its creator. Nalin describes his initial cinematic experiences: “I had never been to the movies before I was eight. The day I saw a film before turning nine was a revelation.“

This cinematic ode unfolds in the Indian countryside in 2010, where young Samay’s life is transformed when he watches a film at the Galaxy Cinema. Driven by his newfound passion for the big screen, he sets out to create his own 35 mm film projection, together with his friends and defying prohibitions, starting with those imposed by his father, who disapproves of his son’s fascination with what he considers an immoral art form.

To bring his vision to life, the director surrounds himself with strong, endearing characters. Bhavin Rabari’s late discovery of the big screen parallels that of his character, Samay, whom he portrays with rare sincerity and emotion. His raw, luminous presence on screen adds a deeply moving and hopeful authenticity to the film. Along with his group of friends, they represent a free, vibrant, and universal childhood where the imagination becomes a space for escape and sharing.

Their collective dynamics infuse the story with an infectious energy where every laugh, every attempt, and every setback contributes to self-discovery. “I absolutely wanted to make a film that celebrates lightness and innocence, which takes us back to a natural, organic, and timeless way of living. It’s a very simple story about a very simple hero who has nothing; therefore, he has nothing to lose,” explains the director.

A Poetic Celebration of Cinema and Light

“La Dernière séance” offers a poetic journey through the world of cinema. It’s a celebration of the art and magic of the big screen, as emphasized by Pan Nalin: “La Dernière séance is a cinematic feast in every frame: haunted lights, shadows, optical illusions, darkness, then vast spaces bathed in sunlight. Essentially, it’s an emotional rollercoaster where every moment comes from the heart, and the treatment is born from the gut.”

Echoing major works on childhood and cinephilia, the film evokes a gentle nostalgia for a time when cinema was experienced as an almost sacred encounter, a sort of poem about timelessness. Here, light becomes a character in its own right, offering dreams and hopes to the protagonists. “I always knew that the story of La Dernière Séance could not be told without celebrating lyricism and light,” states Pan Nalin.

Through this focus on light, the film also captures a pivotal moment: the transition from 35 mm film to a new technological era, where the physical essence of cinema seems to vanish. This nostalgia for the art form is accompanied by an awareness of change, a transforming world, and the gradual disappearance of a certain relationship with cinema.

With this project, Pan Nalin aims to offer hope and a breath of fresh air. His work transcends a mere tribute to cinema to become a broader reflection on our relationship with the world and the passage of time. “It’s also a celebration of nature and our ability to live in harmony with rain, lightning, lakes, or lions. I hope that viewers will be moved, uplifted, and ultimately bathed in a colorful world of storytellers,” he highlights.

In the tradition of films like Cinema Paradiso or The Fabelmans, La Dernière séance delicately reminds us why cinema remains an essential art, offering a place for memory, wonder, and transmission. A hopeful work, now showing in theaters.

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