The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Dir.: Christopher Nolan, 164 min.

It has been eight years since Batman (Christian Bale), in collusion with Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), vanished into the night. Assuming responsibility for the death of Harvey Dent, Batman sacrificed everything for what he and Gordon hoped would be the greater good. However, the arrival of a cunning cat burglar (Anne Hathaway) and a merciless terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy) force Batman out of exile and into a battle he may not be able to win.

Part of our summer film series: Stepwells on the Silver Screen
Located in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, a stepwell known as Chand Baori—with 3,500 steps zigzagging down 13 stories—is perhaps the most recognizable of all stepwells. Now maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, the thousand-year-old site has been featured in several major motion pictures, including Tarsem Singh’s 2006 adventure fantasy The Fall and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Director Amol Palekar’s Bollywood romance Paheli (2005) includes stunning scenes filmed inside the stepwell Hadi Rani Ki Baori, built in the 12th century and also located in Rajasthan.

Co-sponsored by Asia Society Southern California.

Related Exhibition: India’s Subterranean Stepwells: Photographs by Victoria Lautman.
Since the 5th century, stepwells have served as water-harvesting systems that descend into the earth and enable communities to access the water table or rainwater gathered below. A selection of 48 photographs by journalist Victoria Lautman captures the diversity and sublime beauty of these architectural marvels.

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Parking available in UCLA Lot 4, 398 Westwood Plaza, directly off Sunset Blvd | $13/day. Rideshare drop-off 305 Royce Drive.