Front Page, Industry News

Oscar nomination for ‘Water’

TORONTO (CP) _ There were tears, champagne and jumps for joy when Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta learned she had snagged an Oscar nomination for her film "Water" on Tuesday.

The Toronto-based director and screenwriter said she was a bundle of nerves as she watched the early morning announcement on television with daughter Devyani Saltzman, publicist Bonne Smith, producer David Hamilton and distributor Hussain Amarshi at her side.

She agonized as the Hindi-language film was the last to be mentioned in the five-film list, read out alphabetically at a live television broadcast Beverly Hills, Calif.

"And then they said from Canada…. I just felt thrilled," Mehta said moments after getting the news.

"My daughter was jumping up and down and David started crying and Hussain opened a bottle of champagne and we were just jumping, we were like kids."

Mehta said she’s in a state of shock over the honour, just the latest in a string of accolades for the critical smash.

"Water" is set in 1938 India, against Mahatma Gandhi’s rise to power, and tells the story of the appalling treatment of Hindu widows, including an eight-year-old girl.

It came after a difficult shoot in Sri Lanka and India that spanned several years due to opposition from Hindu fundamentalists.

Mehta said she was especially thrilled that "Water" is the first non-French film from Canada to be up for a best foreign language film. Although it contains some English, it was allowed for consideration because of recent changes to Academy rules which allow films to contain up to 30 per cent English. Previously, no English was allowed.

"For me, what is really important is that it really shows that Canada is a multilingual country. That is very important for me," she said.

"Usually, it’s a French film that we submit. It’s the first time that a film in another language (has been nominated), and that means a lot."

The 2001 Inuktitut film, "Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner," was submitted for Oscar consideration but failed to get a nomination.

Mehta said she was looking forward to walking the red carpet when the gold statuettes are handed out Feb. 25. She said she’s already considering a special outfit _ a very old tissue sari that was part of her mother’s trousseau.

"It’s plain gold and it’s very elegant," she said. "I think it’s right to wear mom’s sari."

Canada last took an Oscar for best foreign-language film in 2004, with Denys Arcand’s "The Barbarian Invasions."