Paul Zils (1915-1979)

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Birthplace:
Wuppertal, Germany

Born:
June 18, 1915

Died:
March 30, 1979

Paul Zils (18 June 1915 – 30 March 1979) was a German-Indian documentary filmmaker who played a major role in the development of Indian documentary filmmaking. Born in Germany, Zils moved to India in the late 1940s, where he became deeply involved in the country's burgeoning film industry, particularly in the documentary genre. He is best known for his collaborations with the Films Division of India, where he worked as both a director and a producer, helping to shape the documentary film landscape in post-independence India. Zils was instrumental in capturing the social and political changes occurring in India during the mid-20th century, focusing on issues such as poverty, agriculture, and cultural heritage. His films were notable for their sensitivity to Indian traditions and issues, and his work brought global attention to the power of documentary cinema as a tool for social change.

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Assistant Director:
1936  Lucky Kids
1937  Fanny Elssler
1937  Seven Slaps

Director:
1936  Lucky Kids
1937  Fanny Elssler
1937  Seven Slaps
1945  Bombay, the Story of Seven Isles
1947  Community
1947  India's Struggle for National Shipping
1948  Child
1948  Kurwandi Road
1948  Mother-Child-Community
1949  A Tiny Thing Brings Death
1949  General Motors in India
1949  The Last Jewel
1949  Two Worlds
1949  White Magic
1950  India is Ours
1950  Our India
1952  Shabash
1952  Zalzala
1954  Family in Bangalore
1954  Ujala
1955  Agriculture
1955  Fisherfolk of Bombay
1955  Oraons of Bihar
1956  Textiles
1956  The Ripening Seed
1956  The School
1957  Fifty Miles from Poona
1957  Maa, the Story of an Unmarried Person
1957  New Life of a Displaced Person
1958  Martial Dances of Malabar
1959  The Vanishing Tribe
1963  Buddhismus in Ceylon
1965  Asiatische Religionen

Writer:
1936  Lucky Kids
1937  Fanny Elssler
1937  Seven Slaps
1945  Bombay, the Story of Seven Isles
1947  Community
1947  India's Struggle for National Shipping
1948  Child
1948  Kurwandi Road
1948  Mother-Child-Community
1949  A Tiny Thing Brings Death
1949  General Motors in India
1949  The Last Jewel
1949  Two Worlds
1949  White Magic
1950  India is Ours
1950  Our India
1952  Shabash
1952  Zalzala
1954  Family in Bangalore
1954  Ujala
1955  Agriculture
1955  Fisherfolk of Bombay
1955  Oraons of Bihar
1956  Textiles
1956  The Ripening Seed
1956  The School
1957  Fifty Miles from Poona
1957  Maa, the Story of an Unmarried Person
1957  New Life of a Displaced Person
1958  Martial Dances of Malabar
1959  The Vanishing Tribe
1963  Buddhismus in Ceylon
1965  Asiatische Religionen

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