The three films in this boxset abound with love for their characters. And that makes every minute of each of the films ouze with beauty. The films follow Apu, the son of a poor Brahmin in rural Bengal. When we first meet him all we see is one big eye staring through a blanket as his rebellious older siter tries to get him out of bed. Each film deals with love, loss and the struggle to survive in a changing world. The first film "Pather Panchali" features the young Apu and his sister exploring their lush world as their parents, or rather mother, struggles to feed them, while her husband prefers to write poetry and fails to get the money he is owed by the local landholder. All the while the meddling neighbours only make things less pleasant. In the second film, the first time we see an older Apu, he is poking his head around the worn corner of a Calcutta tenement. This one takes place in a decaying urban environment, where the neighbours are equally nosey. In the third film, "The World of Apu", the protagonist is suprised to get married, falls in love and has a child. As with all the films, the love between and for characters dominates the viewing experience as the audience's emotions fly up and down with those on screen. I think you have to be heartless not to enjoy these films.