Beginning her film career in educational documentaries in her native country of India, Deepa Mehta eventually moved to Canada in the 1970s where she continued working in documentary and television. Her first feature, SAM & ME (1991), launched her career in the feature filmmaking industry in Canada. SAM & ME introduces key themes that occur throughout her feature films: the story follows two men, Nikhil (Ranjit Chowdhry), a recent immigrant to Canada, and Sam (Peter Boretski), an elderly an ailing Jewish man who form a bond when Nikhil is hired as his caregiver. Mehta’s following features, especially her controversial but critically acclaimed Elements trilogy FIRE (1996), EARTH (1998), and WATER (2005), focus on the formation of female bonds in the face of personal, social, and political turmoil during the 1940s. Noted for giving a voice to those often marginalized in India through their caste and gender, Mehta’s films wade in the emotionally resonant waters of despair and heartbreak, while offering ebullient scenes of play, generosity, and hope. Mehta’s diasporic narratives, sociopolitical explorations, and rich storytelling capacities have marked her as one of the most internationally recognizable filmmakers in Canada.  – Emily Sanders