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Deepa Mehta
The two predominant themes in the work of writer-director Deepa Mehta are 1) the transcendence of age differentials and cultural barriers and 2) passion in its various guises. Drawing on her own status as a woman whose identity straddles two disparate worlds, her native India and her adopted homeland of Canada, this gifted filmmaker sheds new light on the seemingly banal topics of friendship and history. In a handful of films, Mehta has emerged as a potent voice in world cinema.