This short film is a tribute to award-winning director and screenwriter Deepa Mehta. A true cultural hybrid, Mehta has been described as a “transnational” artist, able to tell universally meaningful stories from a uniquely Canadian point of view. In a career spanning over 30 years she has consistently broken new ground, tackling such controversial issues as intolerance, cultural discrimination and domestic violence. As an Indian who grew up speaking English first in a British Colonial School and then learning Hindi, she finds her passion and her stories in India, and the freedom to choose how to tell those stories in Canada.
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2012 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
Ages 14 to 17
Arts Education - Art
Arts Education - Drama
Media Education - Film and Video Production
Social Studies - Communities in Canada/World
Study Indian culture and values and compare them with those considered typically “western” or Canadian. After screening the film, identify the conflicts Mehta alludes to and discuss how she uses this notion of conflict to create depth in her work. Show excerpts from her films and identify the political contexts depicted. Discuss the description of Mehta as a “transitional” artist; research other artists who have bridged distinct cultures, languages, genres, media, etc. Explore the Natya Shastras as a dramatic technique.