From correspondents in London, England, 04:00 PM IST

Exclusive screenings of 'Water', 'Provoked' and 'The Namesake' will be part of the Tongues on Fire film festival here next week.

The annual event, celebrating the excellence, performance and achievements of Asian women in cinema, opens on March 9 with Mira Nair's 'The Namesake'. The film, based on a book written by American writer Jhumpa Lahiri, is about the experience of an Indian family who move to New York in the 1970s.

Deepa Mehta's 'Water', shortlisted for best foreign film at the Oscar's, will be screened the next day. The film explores the plight of child widows against the backdrop of Mahatma Gandhi's rise to power.

Jag Mundhra Aishwarya Rai starrer 'Provoked', which deals with domestic violence, premieres on March 18.

This film festival will celebrate its ninth year this time and will try to showcase work by women or stories where women are the central protagonists in order to encourage debate and hold up a mirror to life, stated the event's official website.

The festival will also include documentaries, a short film competition and question and answer (Q and A) sessions, and will culminate in a special event paying tribute to Bollywood legend Helen.x

(Staff Writer, © IANS)