Director Deepa Mehta was the toast of the town on Thursday at an LA luncheon in honour of this year's Canadian nominees. "I feel very proud. India, the country of my birth, gives me its inspiration for stories, but Canada gives me the freedom to tell those stories," said the Indo-Canadian filmmaker. She has been nominated for an Academy Award in the best foreign language film category for her critically acclaimed drama Water.
Rather than letting her nerves get the best of her in the lead-up to Sunday's big event, she is concentrating on finding the perfect accessories to match her Oscar outfit - her mother's golden silk sari, woven in Varanasi decades ago. "My daughter Devyani will also be wearing a sari," said Deepa. "Why should we get into dresses and compete with the Nicole Kidmans of Hollywood? It's very important for us to be proud of our Indian heritage."
The special occasion, hosted by Ottawa consul general Alain Dudoit, also included fellow Canadian nominees Torill Kove, up for an award for her animated short The Danish Poet and British-born Toronto resident Paul Massey, whose Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is vying for the sound mixing gong.
Though screenwriter Paul Haggis, up for Letters From Iwo Jima, and Ryan Gosling, competing for best actor for Half Nelson, were unable to join in the fun, they are sure to be in LA for Sunday's ceremony at the famous Kodak Theatre.
Photo: George Pimentel
Photo: George Pimentel
