Mijn Zomergasten #3

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My ex-roommate CBKE introduced me to the wonderful Indian-Canadian director Deepa Metha. She made a trilogy about problems in Indian society based on the elements. The first was 'Fire' (amazing movie), the second 'Earth' (which I have yet to see) and the third 'Water'. Each movie is steeped in the element it is named after (just like the Trois Couleurs movies are filled with their specific colours). Below is a fragment of 'Water'. It's set in India in the 1930's.
The main character is Chuyia, a little girl who is widowed while she's about seven years old.
Because she is a widow, she now becomes an outcast of society. She's locked away in a home with a lot of other widows. They all have to wear white and shave their heads, and they are officially alike to the dead when they enter that place.
This fragment below is one of the rare happy moments of the movie, the only time that the widows are officially allowed to have fun, on the annual celebration of Holi, a Hindu Spring festival. (doesn't work anymore, watch promo instead)




Does Chuyia have to live the rest of her life there? Can the beautiful young widow who lives in the same home marry the man she falls in love with, a modern young Indian follower of Ghandi?
It's a really beautiful and tragic work of art. Go rent it.


Another movie fragment I wanted to share comes from the German movie 'Aimee & Jaguar'. It's about two women who fall in love during World War II. One is an Arian wife, the other a Jewess. It's based on a true story! Lilly (aka Aimee) doesn't know her love, Felice (aka Jaguar), is a Jew, and this fragment is the confession moment. Enjoy. Sorry this one's really gone, you'll just have to take my word for it.



Interesting fact: the one who plays Lilly also plays Eva Braun in 'Der Untergang'.