The tale of Apu 's life is continued in the two subsequent installments of Ray 's trilogy : '' Aparajito '' ( '' The Unvanquished '' , 1956 ) and '' Apur Sansar '' ( '' The World of Apu '' , 1959 ) . '' Pather Panchali '' is described as a turning point in Indian cinema , as it was among the films that pioneered the Parallel Cinema movement , which espoused authenticity and social realism . The first film from independent India to attract major international critical attention , it won India 's National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 1955 , the Best Human Document award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival , and several other awards , establishing Ray as one of the country 's most distinguished filmmakers . It is often featured in lists of the greatest films ever made
1956 Cannes Film Festival
1956 Cannes Film Festival
Pather Panchali