By the River (2021)

A virtual pilgrimage to India's "death hotels" directed by Dan Braga Ulvestad

• Documentary

Varanasi is the Indian city where Hindus go to die. Stretching along the Ganges, Varanasi holds great spiritual significance because Hindu scriptutres say that anyone who dies there will attain moksha—liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Berlin-based director Dan Braga Ulvestad captures life and death in India’s heartland in this moving documentary filled with exquisite cinematic moments. By the River starts its narrative journey with the city’s “death hotels,” dedicated apartments where people wait to die, sometimes for decades, so they can be cremated on the banks of the Ganges.

Release date

March 11, 2021

Runtime

25m

Language

English

Director

Dan Braga Ulvestad

Status

Released