Earth

Deepa Mehta's 1998 film, adapted from Bapsi Sidhwa's novel, tells of the 1947 partition through the eyes of the small daughter of a Parsi family in Lahore. The circle of friends of different religions gathered around Shanta, the child's nanny, falls apart as the border becomes definite, and friendship gives way to violence. Its most shattering quality is showing the break in stages rather than all at once: the same people, the same street, and the only change is which side each is counted on. The figure played by Aamir Khan carries how love and betrayal join in one person. Nandita Das is strong. The story stays bound to the limits of a child narrator, which creates distance in some sections. Who it's for: viewers interested in the history of the partition of India and in films about communal violence. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding scenes of sexual and mass violence, or wanting a hopeful close.