This trilogy is considered by critics around the globe to rank among the greatest achievements of Indian film , and it is established as one of the most historically important cinematic debuts . '' Pather Panchali '' won at least thirteen international prizes ( including Best Human Document at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival ) , followed by eleven international prizes for '' Aparajito '' ( including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival ) and numerous other awards for '' Apur Sansar '' ( including the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival ) . When Ray made '' Pather Panchali '' , he worked with a cast and crew most of whom had never been previously involved in film . Ray himself at the time of directing '' Pather Panchali '' had primarily worked in the advertising industry , although he had served as assistant director on Jean Renoir 's 1951 film '' The River '' . From this foundation , Ray went on to create other highly acclaimed films , like '' Charulata '' , '' Mahanagar '' , and '' Aranyer Dinratri '' , and his international success energised other Bengal filmmakers like Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak
1956 Cannes Film Festival
1956 Cannes Film Festival
The Apu Trilogy