The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : A visual journey to the emerald isle

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Friday, Aug 10, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A visual journey to the emerald isle

Vani Doraisamy

— PHOTO: R. RAGU

OPENING A VISTA: (From left to right) Actor Karthi, State Chief Information Commissioner S. Ramakrishnan, Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner P.M. Amza and television personality Anu Hasan, at the inauguration of the Sri Lankan Film Festival in Chennai on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: They may have been born out of a troubled legacy, but civil strife has only made the Sri Lankan creative intellect sharper, if one goes by the line-up of films on offer at the Sri Lankan Film Festival that opened here on Wednesday.

There may be a streak of tragicomedy or bathos about most of them, but for the discerning Chennai film audience, the next three days offers a never-seen-before view of the emerald isle, through the cinematic oeuvre of some of Sri Lanka’s best known directors such as Udayakantha Warnasuriya, Bennet Rathnayake, Jayantha Chandrasiri, Tanuj Anawaratne and Priyantha Colombage.

The festival is being organised by the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission, Chennai and the International Cine Appreciation Forum.

The opening film, Warnasuriya’s ‘Randiya Dahara’ (Shower of Gold, 2004) set the tone with its interpretation of the triumph of humanism over adversity.

Wanasuriya is perhaps the best example of the distance Sri Lankan cinema has travelled since the days of the legendary Lester James Peiris whose ‘Nidhanaya’ is still considered the archetypal Sri Lankan celluloid masterpiece.

The film takes you directly into the dark heart of the conflict through the eroded memory of Captain Samantha, a soldier of the Sri Lankan army, whose experience at the hands of his captors, the Tamil Tigers, has rendered him mute in more ways than one. You also get to witness the influence the contemporary Sri Lankan film-makers have on one another, for Randiya Dahara unmistakably reminds you of the films made by the celebrated Asoka Handagama.

For Chennai especially, the Sri Lankan connection is enduring as most of the post-production work for Sinhala movies is still done in the city, as P.M. Amza, Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner, said while inaugurating the film festival at the South Indian Film Chamber Theatre.

And this is not to speak of the many Tamil movies — Kannathil Muthamittal, Puthiya Mugam, Kaaka Kaaka — which have been shot there. “More film producers should come forward to make movies in Sri Lanka,” Mr. Amza said.

“Creativity is at its maximum in a society that is going through an emotional ferment”, said S. Ramakrishnan, State Chief Information Commissioner, who was the chief guest.

“It is only through art that the situation is best portrayed, as the example of European films proves.”

Actor Karthi and television personality Anu Hasan were among those present at the inauguration.

On Thursday, Bennett Rathnayake’s ‘The Wind’ and Jayantha Chandrasiri’s ‘Fire and Water’ will be screened, followed by Anawaratne’s ‘Silent Honour’ and Colombage’s ‘Fancy Rains’ on Friday.

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