Water
credits:
Director: Deepa Mehta
Producer: David Hamilton
Cast: Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham, Sarala
San Francisco Premiere
Canada 2005 | 114 mins | Color 35mm | Hindi w/E.S.
IN PERSON: Deepa Mehta
In the long-awaited and magnificent conclusion to her “Elemental Trilogy,” Deepa Mehta builds upon her explorations of desire (FIRE, SFIAAFF Closing Night ’97) and nationalism (EARTH), to take on religion and the resilient power of the human spirit. Using its namesake as metaphor, WATER offers an inspiring vision of humanity—its unceasing and transformative power—through the stories of extraordinary individuals. Set during the birth of modern India, WATER draws a powerful parallel between a nation emerging from colonization and its women awakening to their own destinies.
The setting is 1938 India, during Gandhi’s rise to prominence. After an older “husband” whom she never met dies, the feisty eight-year-old Chuyia (Sarala, in a wonderful debut) is delivered to an ashram where, by Hindu law, widows are forced to live. Her head is shorn, and she is swathed in white cloths, habits that she will be required to wear for the rest of her life. The women she joins, young and old, are both resigned and resistant to their fates—until Chuyia’s rebellious spirit sends ripples through the house. She befriends the beautiful Kalyani (Lisa Ray) and explores the new world around her with aplomb. When a chance encounter introduces Kalyani to Gandhi nationalist Narayan (John Abraham), a forbidden love develops, setting in motion a conflict between custom and individual desire that will change these individuals forever.
In her finest film to date, Mehta continues her exploration of Indian history through the eyes of its daughters, mothers and wives. The work of a master filmmaker that is breathtakingly beautiful and profoundly moving, WATER bravely traverses the charged intersection of religion and gender, revealing an intimate story universal in its hope and affirmation.
—Chi-hui Yang
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