One of Canada’s most established and acclaimed cinematographers, Vic Sarin has not only shot such seminal Canadian films as the multiple Genie Award-winning BYE BYE BLUES and MARGARET’S MUSEUM, but has also directed films with a committed social conscience, such as “The David Milgaard Story.” With PARTITION, Sarin gives us his most accomplished, beautifully wrought and ambitious film to date.
Set in India in the tumultuous years following World War II, PARTITION is both a sweeping historical epic and a heart-breaking love story.
Having just resigned from the British Indian Army, thirty-eight-year-old Gian Singh (Jimi Mistry, DEAD FISH, TOUCH OF PINK) returns to his childhood village in northwest India in search of spiritual renewal and a more innocent life. He immerses himself in solitude and prayer and devotes himself to living off the land. All this changes in 1947 when India is granted independence from Britain, on the condition that the predominantly Muslim territory in the northwest of India (which would become Pakistan) be divided from the rest of the Hindu-dominated country. Suddenly India erupts in violent clashes and ethnic turmoil; riots and massacres flood the country like a tidal wave, destroying lives through anger and hatred.
Amidst this tragic scene, Gian meets Naseem (Kristin Kreuk, SMALLVILLE) a seventeen-year-old Muslim girl and takes it upon himself to protect her. Though they soon become drawn to one another, the obstacles facing them may be more than either can bear.
PARTITION is a harrowing tale of bitter conflict, horrible loss and the redemptive power of love. Sarin presents an indelible portrait that is both timeless and historically evocative. |
