Screening of MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN, based on Salman Rushdie's novel, to be shown Friday, February 23, 2018

ALBANY, NY (02/13/2018) (readMedia)-- EVENT LISTING:

A screening of the film adaptation of Salman Rushdie's novel MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday, February 23, at Page Hall, 135 Western Avenue, on the University at Albany downtown campus. Rushdie, who wrote the screenplay, will visit the NYS Writers Institute on April 19. Sponsored by the NYS Writers Institute's Classic Film Series, the event is free and open to the public.

MEDIA RELEASE

ALBANY NY - Adapted by Salman Rushdie from his landmark novel and directed by the award-winning filmmaker Deepa Mehta, MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN tells the story of two children who grow up in India during its tumultuous transformation from British colonial rule to independence.

The screening of MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN (Canada/UK, 2012, 146 minutes, color), will be held 7 p.m. Friday, February 23, at Page Hall, 135 Western Avenue, on the University at Albany Downtown Campus. Sponsored by the NYS Writers Institute Classic Film Series, the event is free and open to the public.

The film is being shown in advance of Salman Rushdie's visit to the NYS Writers Institute on Thursday, April 19.

In a 2011 Globe and Mail (Toronto) story on the film's production, Rushdie said he was hesitant to write the script: "It's a question of preserving the essence – the heart and soul – of the book, but then making a film rather than adhering slavishly to the book. Maybe I could be more disrespectful to the original than anyone else!'"

The Washington Post praised MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN as "Stunning to watch. Between the colorful textiles and the lush landscapes, the elephants on parade and the stilt walkers, 'Midnight's Children' is a visual treat." Following a screening in India, actor Gerson da Cunha said, "I think 'Midnight's Children' is a pretty impossible book to make a film of, and this one is a fantastic effort."

The film earned six major Canadian Screen awards, including Best Motion Picture, Screenplay, and Direction.

For additional information, contact the Writers Institute at 518-442-5620 or online at www.nyswritersinstitute.org.

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