Lahore, 1947: eight-year-old Lenny (Maiai Sethna) is part of the Parsee community, enjoying her childhood. But tensions in the city are rising as events spiral out of control.
Following on from Fire, Mehta's adaptation of Cracking Earth represents the second film in his Elemental Trilogy, and examines the catastrophic events of the partition of the Indian sub-continent through the eyes of a young girl. Shot and acted with real flair, Earth succeeds as an intimate epic, demonstrating how ordinary people who've lived together peacefully for centuries can succumb to hatred. Relevant to events in the former Yugoslavia, this is proof of Mehta's considerable writing and directorial talents.
