Cinema VinesOscar‑winning director Christopher Nolan, whose latest film The Odyssey has smashed opening‑week records, recently paid a visit to the Criterion Collection’s storied storage room in New York. The Criterion Closet, a vault that holds more than 1,000 of the world’s most celebrated films, became the backdrop for Nolan’s cinematic pilgrimage. While browsing the shelves, the filmmaker selected a handful of personal favourites and, in a video released by Criterion, reflected on how each work had shaped his own filmmaking vision.
Among the titles that captured Nolan’s attention was Satyajit Ray’s The Apu Trilogy. The Indian master’s landmark series—comprising Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959)—was singled out as a profound influence. In the clip, Nolan praised Ray, calling him “one of the great Indian filmmakers” and admitting that Pather Panchali had “absolutely incredible” and “blown my mind.” He added that he had not yet seen the second and third films, expressing excitement to finish the trilogy.
The video sparked a wave of online reactions. Fans celebrated the cross‑cultural admiration, with comments such as “One GOAT appreciating another GOAT,” “It’s like God praising another God,” and “A master knows a true master.” Another viewer noted the surprise that Nolan had only seen the first film, while a different comment simply praised his “good taste.”
The Apu Trilogy, based on novels by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, follows the life of Apu from childhood in a poor rural village to adulthood, exploring family, love, loss and ambition. The series is widely regarded as a cornerstone of both Indian and world cinema, having earned three National Film Awards and multiple honours at Cannes, Berlin and Venice.
Meanwhile, Nolan’s The Odyssey has become the highest‑grossing Hollywood film of the year at the Indian box office, pulling in over ₹100 crore in its first week and surpassing $264 million in its opening weekend worldwide. The film, which follows Greek king Odysseus (Matt Damon) on a perilous ten‑year journey home after the Trojan War, has now crossed $350 million globally.
