Heaven on Earth - A Deepa Mehta Film

In Heaven on Earth, acclaimed director Deepa Mehta highlights the isolation and disappointment faced by a family of Punjabi immigrants to Canada.

When Chand (played by Bollywood superstar Preity Zinta) arrives in Brampton, Ontario to meet her new husband, she leaves behind a loving family and supportive community. Now, in a new country, she finds herself living in a modest suburban home with seven other people and two part-time tenants. Inside the home, she is at the mercy of her husband's temper, and her mother-in-law's controlling behaviour.

After a magic root fails to transform her husband into a kind and loving man, Chand takes refuge in a familiar Indian folk tale featuring a King Cobra.

Deepa Mehta
Director, Producer & Screenwriter

Deepa Mehta is one of Canada's most internationally recognized film directors. Born in India, she moved to Canada in 1973.

In 1991, she produced and directed her first feature film, Sam & Me. It premiered at Cannes - the first of many prestigious festival appearances for Mehta's films.

With her third feature, Fire, Mehta launched her controversial "Elements" trilogy of films set in India. Fire, Earth and Water all premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received broad critical acclaim.

Deepa Mehta's many honours include an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film for Water, and a Genie award for best screenplay for Bollywood/Hollywood.

FILMOGRAPHY

SAM AND ME 1991

CAMILLA 1994

FIRE 1996

EARTH 1998

BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD 2002

REPUBLIC OF LOVE 2003

WATER 2004

LETS TALK ABOUT IT 2006

David Hamilton
Producer/Executive Producer

David Hamilton is the producer of Deepa Mehta’s Oscar nominated film Water, as well her critically acclaimed feature films Fire and Earth, which he sold, in conjunction with United Artists, to over 40 countries worldwide. In late 2001, Hamilton collaborated with Mehta by producing Bollywood/Hollywood, which opened Perspective Canada at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival. It was a box office success in Canada and sold in over 20 countries worldwide. He has also executive produced Lunch With Charles, a Hong Kong-Canadian co-production starring Sean Lau, Theresa Lee, Nicholas Lea and Bif Naked. His business ventures have taken him to every corner of the globe and span a variety of enterprises, including communications, publishing, concert production/promotion and feature film production. A strong supporter of the arts, Hamilton has been an active member of the board of directors of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, School of Dance and is the current chairman of the Ottawa International Writers Festival.

Anita Lee
Co-Producer

Anita Lee is a producer of award-winning and critically acclaimed feature films. Since joining the NFB in 2005, she co-produced several feature-length documentaries and dramas, including The Bodybuilder and I (Best Canadian Documentary Feature, Hot Docs 2007), FLicKeR, (Special Jury Prize Canadian Feature Documentary, Hot Docs 2008) and North America’s first interactive feature-length drama, Late Fragment (TIFF 2007). Previously, Lee was an independent producer of feature films that garnered multiple Gemini and Genie awards, and invited to festivals worldwide including Proteus by John Greyson (TIFF, Berlin). In 1997, she founded the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.

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