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Finding Carlton is a true labor of love. One doesn’t think of the words jazz and India as going together, but Susheel Kurien’s heartwarming documentary takes us on an unexpected journey. Great musicians and fantastic playing are universal. Finding Carlton is absorbing and eye-opening.
- Alice Elliott, NYU Tisch School of the Arts Faculty and Academy Award Nominee
“Finding Carlton is at once illuminating and captivating. Through sterling direction and story-telling, the film manages to preserve Indian jazz culture while also informing even the wisest jazz fan about the music’s migration from American to Europe and to India. It’s a story that has escaped most American jazz listeners until now. …. But perhaps most remarkable is how all jazz musicians -.no matter where they reside on the globe -.share the same love and veneration for the music and its originators. In Finding Carlton, you see firsthand how jazz has come to be a transnational language”
- Marc Myers/JazzWax.com
“I’m neither a big time jazz fan, nor an all-out India-phile. But I do love great stories, which makes me a huge admirer of Susheel Kurien’s Finding Carlton.”
- Michael Solomon — Producer — How To Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
“Finding Carlton is wonderful film that artfully balances the fascinating and little known history of jazz in India with a touching human drama of a great jazz musician in the twilight of his career. Filled with humor and humanity, it is a story that lifts the spirit, and sparkles with a soundtrack of musical gems”
- Ken Levis – Multi-Emmy award winning Director, Editor and Producer
“Kurien has a splendid eye — even though this is his first film — for the little human details that bring both individual characters and a larger world (now, perhaps no longer quite so vibrant) into focus and into our hearts. FINDING CARLTON blossoms with lovely montages of the present and the past, the aural and the visual, the moving and the still. It is respectful but never dull, informative but never preachy or didactic ”
- Michael Steinman – JAZZ LIVES
“The film is really amazing — we were buzzing about it all the way home. Just to make it is an incredible accomplishment, but you have done something spectacular: you’ve filmed it beautifully, you’ve structured it in a way that is compelling, the music is amazing, and the interviews fascinating. Congratulations!”
- Anne K (New York)
“….and of course the film! I’ve been replaying it in my mind since then and Christine and I keep on talking about it. It is really very strong and the visuals are quite compelling. Some moments are really special such as…. Carlton’s student talking about jazz and gazing out the window…. Carlton playing for two people at the Grand….. my own Home Minister hearing the recording of Micky’s band…. Louiz talking about his current work…. Carlton’s band guys rehearsing… WOW! Great stuff! You really have created a great document of events that will not have eyewitnesses for that much longer.”
- Frank C (New York)
“I can’t stop thinking about the film Susheel…kudos to you. I heard all the different suggestions from everyone there but it was so apparent that you had put so much thought into everything and had a reason for presenting things a certain way that in the end I’m not sure that I’d change much. I’m convinced you are the best person to have tackled a film like this…..being a filmmaker, a musician and a “sensitive” Indian.
Hope Finding Carlton gets the publicity and success it deserves.”
- Christine C (New York)
