By Irudaya Jothi
Kolkata, Aug 26, 2020: Father Gaston Roberge, father of film studios in India who had associated with Satyajit Ray and other top filmmakers in the world, died on August 26 in Kolkata. He was 85.
“Father Gaston Roberge passed away at 8:20 this morning. He received communion in the morning and had breakfast. Peaceful passing away,” says a message from the headquarters of the Jesuit’s Calcutta province.
Father Roberge, a Canadian missionary, was leading a retired life in St Xavier’s Infirmary attached to St Xavier’s College in the capital city of West Bengal state.
The funeral Mass will be held at 11 am on August 28 in St Xavier’s College and burial at Dhyan Ashram, some 20 km away.
“A great communicator indeed. May his soul rest in peace,” says Father Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit social activist who has known Father Roberge for years.
“Father Gaston Roberge is a legend,” says an article in the Telegraph newspaper in Kolkata, the Jesuit’s base since his arrival in India in 1961.
In 1970 he setup Chitrabani (picture and word), the oldest media training institute in eastern India. It started as an extension service of St Xavier’s College.
The Jesuit-turned-film academic from French-speaking Montreal used to live in a room in St. Xavier’s College that had his workstation, complete with a desktop computer and a printer, besides his bed.
On the walls, pictures of Satyajit Ray and Bimal Roy, another renowned filmmaker, coexisted with Christ’s portrait.
Father Roberge was born on May 27, 1935, and joined the Jesuits in 1956. He was ordained a priest on March 18, 1967, and pronounced the final vows on on September 15, 1975.
He used to say that he had been fascinated with films since primary school when cowboy films used to be screened on Saturdays. The first Indian film he saw was the Apu Trilogy in New York on the eve of his journey to India.
“I was very impressed, particularly with Pather Panchali (by Satyajit Ray),” he was quoted as saying in the Telegraph article.
Father Roberge had done masters in theater arts (film) at the University of California in Los Angeles. On his return to Calcutta he thought of starting a center, Chitrabani, to initiate people to the study of films.
He started Chitrabani with the help of Satyajit Ray and Rita Ray, whose pen name was Kabita Sarkar.
Father Roberge was director of Chitrabani until 1996.
“I felt I must go after 26 years to make it possible for new leadership to take charge,” he was quoted in the article. Then he moved to the headquarters of the Society of Jesus in Rome as secretary for social communication. After he returned to Calcutta and more specifically to St. Xavier’s College in 1999, he again became involved in teaching mass communication and film studies that he continued until he retired to the infirmary.
The Jesuit educationist was inspired by Ivan Illich’s 1970 book, Deschooling Society. He wanted a real film studio, without teachers or students, but with practicing filmmakers and apprentices, that is, masters and disciples.
“if the studio is as good as I see it, one would not have to go to Mumbai to work on one’s film. Lastly, if it is a real studio it could make money, and Chitrabani would not have to depend on foreign funding,” he used to say.
Father Roberge was uneasy with the “excessive importance” given to the West. “India can play an immense role in reversing this trend,” asserted the Jesuit whose talk on “Re-reading 3 Idiots” created a flutter on Facebook.
I pay my respects to this great Jesuit missionary who helped me to see the difference between the medium and the message. He was an inspiration for me showing how the medium of Cinema can impact the thought process of generations. I wrote my theological thesis on ‘Concept of God in Indian Cinema’, motivated by his talks. May his soul rest in peace. Prayers from Rome.
Yes
MAY the soul of Fr Gaston Roberge rest in peace. He was very soft spoken and great man of Media. He was the director of CHIRABANI and also in charge of Catholic church Media in charge at Vatican city.i was his student learning photography and modern Art at Chitrabani late 1972 to 1978 while I used to go for my evening studies at Probir Jesu Libary. His Asssistant Fr George was also a great man. God Grant him him eternal peace. A big loss to the Jesuit COMMUNITY. Thought he was a Canadian yet his Bengoli was so fluent. 🖨️🎞️📽️🎥📹📸🎙️📺📠📟📞🎚️🎞️📽️✝️✝️✝️🍄🍁🍂🌷🌹🌹🥀🌺🌸🌼🌻ĺ
Respectful farewell to Father Gaston Roberge.
Father, we love you, your pupils of Bangladesh.
RIP.Worked in the Chitrabani Studios from Nov 1977 to Nov 1978 as a recording engineer in their studio.
Are you the same Sita who worked in late 70′ s in Chitrabani,with Sheeba,Brayn and Salim?
May his soul Rest in peace…
Father Roberge was an enigma, I was his book designer for many years. I respected him.
I recall one of many funny occasions with him… me as a Hindu Brahmin. He asked me to come into the church in his compound and I did. Silence.
Look carefully all over he said and I thought o god is he trying to convert me. More silence. He finally spoke:
What color should this church be painted?
Love him RIP
A real gentleman-Jesuit. Any one could feel at ease with him because he could treat everyone at their level. Am blessed to have encounterrd him. His book on Mediation is a classic for media, students.
A great mind, an evolutionary communicator, very inspiring teacher and mentor who helped me to follow my path and guided me at the most important and pivotal moments of my life.
For Fr Gaston film was a language to enrich society and bring knowledge and understanding with compassion and feeling for us all.
i thank God for the gift of this legend. I had met him on several occasions. May the faithful soul rest in peace. fr. sam
He was great person ..such a great job he had done .thanks God he that created him and sent to india to do God’s ministry .
May his soul rest in peace. …
I could organise the first Mother Teresa International Film Festival only because of Fr. Gaston’s full support. He would not accept to be director of the first MTIFF to mark Mother Teresa’s beatification in 2003. Two popular cinema halls of Calcutta – New Empire and Light House were dedicated to four days of festival with 10 international films on Mother Teresa offering daily four shows – all free.
Only because of Fr Gaston’s contacts that I could get the clearance for 10 international films from CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) New Delhi.
The Missionaries of Charity Sisters were dead against the whole concept of the film festival in Mother Teresa’s name. In the core committee meet for Beatification celebrations, only Fr Gaston and archbishop Lucas Sarkar supported the film festival concept. The festival was approved on condition that both Fr Gaston and I had to organise special screening of two controversial films of Mother Teresa included in the festival list: In the Name of God’s Poor; and Hell’s Angel, for archbishop’s approval.