‘Water’, directed by Deepa Mehta, takes place in an Indian ‘house of widows’ in 1938.

Against the rhythms of India’s colourful culture, viewers are drawn into the
ashram, inhabited by women prohibited to participate in Indian society due to the sole fact that their husbands have died.

The film follows a young girl, Chuyia, and the other widows, including Kalyani, a lovely young woman and Shakuntula, the sometimes belligerent governor of the colony. Their lives are shared against a backdrop of the changing political climate, with the increasing popularity of Gandhi and with him a questioning of old traditions.

The cinematography utilises natural light to illuminate the lushness of the Ganges river, the beauty of India’s rituals and in stark contrast, the monastic simplicity of the widows world. After initial awkwardness, the film portrays it’s
characters with moving compassion, even as it calls attention to a world which allows such oppression.

By Tara Strong