Satyajit Ray

Known for: the Apu Trilogy (1955–1959); Indian art cinema

Satyajit Ray founded Indian art cinema with the Apu Trilogy — Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956), The World of Apu (1959) — made in Bengal with no film school training, a borrowed camera, and collaborators drawn from his social circle. He directed 36 films and also wrote fiction, composed film scores, and designed film posters and credits. He received an honorary Academy Award in 1992, weeks before his death.