As a regular traveller to Kolkata and an expert on pioneer Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, was born in Kolkata and Jane Richter has brought her interests together in the fascinating film Cameron, Coffee & Calcutta: A Traveller’s Tales.
The documentary-style work interweaves Jane’s own travels with biographical details of Cameron’s life –starting in India, before travelling to France, the UK, and Julia’s final resting place in Sri Lanka.
An engaging personal view of India that traverses continents and centuries, the film emphasises cultural links between East and West. It touches on classical literary references such as Tagore and Tennyson, and contemporary Kolkata writers including Shuvashree Chowdhury and Bishwanath Ghosh.
While researching the film over two years, Jane recognised remarkable overlap between her own path and that of Julia. She credits her passion for India to her aunt, who worked at London’s India House in 1947.
The film has been screened throughout the UK and India. Jane is a passionate advocate of The Hope Foundation (HOPE) in Kolkata - where the charity provides vital care to vulnerable street connected children and slum dwelling communities.