Deepa Mehta's 'Water' among top ten Canadian films

Toronto, Dec 15 (IANS) Indo-Canadian director Deepa Mehta's film "Water", which received accolades with its recent North American premiere, has been listed among the top ten Canadian films of 2005.

The Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFFG) announced the list of the chosen movies on Dec 13 at the annual Top Ten industry event. All the ten films will be screened here next year from Jan 27 to Feb 5.

Lisa Ray who hosted the event with actor Brent Carver said she was overwhelmed by the public and industry response to "Water".

"I miss the white sari that I wore for three months," she told the audience, recalling "Water's" shooting.

The film set in 1938 colonial India depicts the plight of widows and the injustice meted out to women.

Mehta wanted to shoot the film in Varanasi but had to shift the location to Sri Lanka after protests from local religious groups.

"Water", last of Mehta's trilogy after "Fire" and "Earth", was a runaway hit when it was released in Canada as people there could identify with the film's content. Apart from Ray, the film stars actor John Abraham.

Ray, who has featured in a few Hindi films, said she has called it quits in Bollywood.

"I have made this conscious decision," Ray told IANS. "I have had my share of Bollywood."

The Indo-Canadian actress said she was currently busy promoting "Water" in the US.

"I have several upcoming projects here in North America... mostly modelling projects," Ray, a former Miss India who began her career as a model and then turned to acting, said about her future plans.

According to a press release, the top ten films to be screened next year will include introductions and interactive sessions by filmmakers besides panel discussions.

The top ten films are - "C.R.A.Z.Y." by Jean-Marc Vallée, "Familia" by Louise Archambault, "History Of Violence" by David Cronenberg, "Horloge Biologique" by Ricardo Trogi, "The Life And Hard Times Of Guy Terrifico" by Michael Mabbott, "Memory For Max, Claire, Ida And Company" by Allan King, "La Neuvaine" by Bernard Emond, "A Simple Curve" by Aubrey Nealson, "Water" by Deepa Mehta, and "Where The Truth Lies" by Atom Egoyan.

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