Traditional historical documents detail literal events and political leaders. However, these hardly touch the lives of masses. Films too serve a similar purpose. Not only have they brought a tremendous load of information to modern viewers, but they have also recorded the milestones of social change in the country. Thus, motion pictures may provide us with the best means of what it was like to walk down history.
Sri Lanka prides itself in its film industry. Home to many acclaimed filmmakers and directors, scores of works of cinematography have received several awards and accolades. Stalwarts such as Dr. D B Nihalsinghe, Vasantha Obeysekara, Dharmasena Pathiraja, Dr. Lester James Peries, Sumitra Peries, and Tissa Abeysekara have done yeoman service to bring the Sinhala film industry forward.
Renowned filmmakers such as Prasanna Vithanage, Asoka Handagama, Chandran Rutnam, Udayakantha Warnasooriya, H. D. Premaratne, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Anomaa Rajakaruna, and Enokaa Sathyangani too have tried to breathe life into Sri Lankan cinema
The birth of the Sinhala film industry coincided with the Independence of Sri Lanka. From the 16th century, our country had been invaded and colonised by the Portuguese, Dutch, and the British. Independence was finally attained with the departure of the British, in early 1948. Therefore, it seems telling that the first Sinhala talkie, ‘Kadawunu Poronduwa’ (Broken Promise), was released on January 21, 1947.
Key milestones
Award winning filmmaker Asoka Handagama said, “Both these historic incidents occur during the same era. I believe that the development of the Sri Lankan film industry has two key milestones. It commenced first with the screening of ‘Rekhawa’ in 1956 and then when ‘Ahas Gawwa’ began unspooling in 1973. As Dr. Lester James Peries noted some years back, the third revolution of the local film industry began with my film ‘Me Mage Sandai’ (This is My Moon).”
Indeed, Dr Peries had noted that ‘Me Mage Sandai’ had daringly taken the Sinhala cinema into a new dimension, and it had a new concept which is quite different from any other Sinhala film produced till 2001. He has viewed “the film is the first of its own kind and presented in a way that it has its own originality”.
Handagama depicts the how the individual mind works in war-torn society in the film. He depicts how human relationships, religious beliefs, social customs, youthfulness and passion change dramatically in such a society.
Unfurling his thoughts on the struggles that the industry underwent to find its footing, internationally acclaimed film director Prasanna Vithanage said that earlier, cinematic productions followed the norms set by the Indian film industry. Therefore, films continued to follow the formulaic storylines borrowed from India throughout the early 1960s despite efforts like ‘Sandeshaya’ and ‘Kurulu Bedda’.
Nationalistic wave
“We were aping the South Indian tradition. As critic Jayawilal Wilegoda stated, the only difference between the two is the dialect. This is because cinema is a business and local investors were for films that were already made in India because they have become successful abroad and would become a hit here as well. The politics of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike brought a change in the 1950s by banning the production of Sinhala films in India. There was a nationalistic wave as well as a focus towards Buddhism,” Vithanage said.
Sirisena Wimalaweera made films such as ‘Podi Putha’ in Sri Lankan studios. ‘Podi Putha’ was a film which projected some of the social issues prevailed during the time. A character holds up a board saying ‘No Vacancies’ in the film shedding light on the unemployment crisis. Wimalaweera’s films had touches of the sentiments of the people during his time,” Vithanage said, adding that these nationalistic feelings also prodded Dr. Lester James Peries to take the camera out of the studio and take it to the village setting to make a production like ‘Rekhawa’.
He said that post-Independence cinema is connected with post-Independence politics of cinema. Post independence politics had two main issues.
“One is the unfulfilled dreams of the youth and the nationalistic flavour. Even Thambiraja Somasekaran’s ‘Seda Sulang’ (Devastating Gales) encompassed the song ‘Manaranjana Darshaniya Lanka’ sung by Latha Walpola. Films funded by Tamils like K Gunaratnam and Chittampalam Abraham Gardiner also included nationalistic songs to win over the Sinhala Buddhist audience,” Vithanage said.
In this setting, Dr. Lester James Peries’ ‘Gamperaliya’ (The Transformation of a Village) brought a gust of fresh air into the setting with scenes shot outside the studio and featuring no songs. It was hailed by critics and Sri Lankan audience alike and garnered a handful of awards.
“Gamperaliya’ features the social change in a down South village where the capitalist class overpowers the feudal lords. In ‘Delovak Athara’ (Between Two Worlds), Peries brought out the moral issues that the urban youth face. Thus, the dilemmas of the middle class came to light through a camera lens,” Vithanage said.
Lack of employment leads to an uprising against the Government. The first insurgency from the South occurred. Filmmakers like Dharmasena Pathiraja and Vasantha Obeysekara based some of their productions upon this situation. ‘Ahas Gauwa’ (One League of Sky) projects the point of view of the urban youth and their alienation from society. The educated rural youth who have passed out from university but are idling in their village is seen through ‘Walmath Vuvoo’.
“These filmmakers could bring the changing social dynamics through their stories,” Vithanage said.
Ethnic tension
Ethnic tension was another topic which had been captured in films. Though Independence was won together as a collective nation, there was a dispute in sharing power. This led to a nonviolent campaign of equal rights which later led to an armed struggle against the Southern Government for a separate state.
“Thousands perished and suffered from both sides due to this. The 1983 riots led to a Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. Filmmakers of my generation like Asoka Handagama and Vimukthi Jayasundara made films based on the failure of the consecutive Governments which led to a bloody conflict of 30 years. We tried to capture how it has affected human values. For example, in ‘Pura Handa Kaluwara’ (Death on a Full Moon Day), I show how a father does not want to accept the fact that his son has passed away when his son’s body arrives home in a sealed coffin. Though the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people are suffering from the same issues, they do not see eye to eye because they have been polarised. This is brought out in ‘Ira Mediyama’ (August Sun). This theme became predominant in a majority of films as we have seen how it has challenged human ethics,” he said.
Sri Lankan films have not only nudged the audience, but have tweaked past Governments when the rulers were exposed. Such films which have faced the axe were ‘Nalangana’ (1960), ‘Dutugemunu’ (1979), ‘The Judgement’ (1998), ‘Akshanraya’ (2005) and ‘Flying Fish’ (2011). The popular slogan that the authorities sing when questioned why they decided to ban such a production is that the film is ‘not appropriate’ at the time of its release.
The first unfortunate occurrence was recorded in 1960 when the film ‘Nalangana’ was banned after the authorities termed it ‘a national disaster’. The reason given was that some scenes in the film were rated as obscene. However, the film’s soundtrack gave the viewers many popular Sinhala songs like ‘Parama Ramani’, ‘Giluna Soka Gangey’, ‘Peni Vaehena Katha’, and ‘Sithehi Baendi Aaley’.
Sensitive subject
The civil conflict which prevailed for nearly three decades was a hot topic which many filmmakers explored.
However, it was also a sensitive subject to take up as many a politician and lawmaker had used this subject to pursue personal affairs abroad. A discussion on the topic which does not tally with the views of the rulership is sure to create issues.
One such production was the film created by Jude Ratnam. The film, titled ‘Demons in Paradise’, is a glimpse into the civil war using the railway connecting the Sinhalese-dominated South and the Tamil-dominated North as a springboard for explorations. Though it has been screened internationally, the film was banned from the Jaffna Film Festival 2018.
Setting aside the conflict, there have been a few other instances where films have been banned for encompassing content which questioned the rulers’ actions. One such production was the 1979 film ‘Dutugemunu’. This animated feature created by Givantha Arthasad, who is often dubbed as the father of Sri Lankan animation, was only screened at theaters for a single day before it was inexplicably banned. There are many rumoured reasons for the ban, including how a scene where the warrior Suranimala throws an elephant was seen as a criticism of the Government at the time.
Out-of-the-box themes
Asoka Handagama is a filmmaker who has made films on out-of-the-box themes. Making movies based on a variety of topics ranging from ethnic conflict to gender politics, his productions have often ruffled feathers. Handagama’s 2005 production ‘Aksharaya’ (A Letter of Fire) saw its approval being revoked because it was alleged that its contents were bringing the judiciary into disrepute.
“Now, we are in a country facing economic constraints. I believe that the filmmakers today will take up this topic. The impact of the economic situation on the people will be a predominant theme in films that are made today,” Vithanage said.
The more recent trend in the industry was the wave of historical films which drew masses to cinema halls. Jackson Antony’s ‘Aba’ paved way for this and soon high-budgeted productions like ‘Maharaja Gemunu’ (King Gemunu) and ‘Aloko Udapadi’ (Light Arose) followed. These films not only upheld patriotism, but also became box office hits, rejuvenating the industry.
“We have passed many milestones in the Sri Lankan cinema industry. Today, it has a tough competition with other forms of entertainment such as television, mobile phones, OTP platforms and YouTube. These are easily accessible to users. Therefore, we are passing the most challenging era in the history of our film industry,” Handagama said.
However, he said that emerging young filmmakers are not going to be defeated easily. They have not stepped back and given up the fight.
“Unlike us, there is a vast space open for them to explore various themes and modern devices at their fingertips. Their biggest challenge is continuing their journey as filmmakers. I believe that the future of our cinema industry will be shaped on how these youth would take on this issue,” he said.
