Cinema of Sri Lanka: Difference between revisions

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Sri Lankan cinema is a fledgling industry that has struggled to find a footing since its inauguration in 1947 with Kadawunu Poronduwa.

In the first nine years most films were made in South India and followed the conventions of Indian cinema. Rekava, made in 1956 by pioneer director Lester James Peries, was the first Sinhala film to be shot completely out of studio and contain a truly Sinhalese storyline. Though acclaimed by local and international critics, the film failed to find an audience in the country and was a box office failure. Films continued to follow formulaic storylines borrowed from India up through the early 60s despite such efforts as Sandesaya and Kurulu Bedda.

In 1964, Lester James Peries again contributed to the development of Sri Lankan cinema with Gamperaliya which was the first Sinhala film to feature no songs and like Rekava shot completely outside the studio. It garnered massive praise for portraying Sinhala culture in a realistic manner and was hailed by critics and audiences alike. Following this breakthrough, several artistic Sinhala films were made in the late-60s including Sath Samudura by professor Siri Gunasinghe, Sikuru Tharuwa by P. K. D. Seneviratne, Chandiya by Titus Thotawatte, Hanthane Kathawa by Sugathapala Senerath Yapa, Nim Wallala by Ranjith Lal, Ves Gatho by Vasantha Obeysekera and Saama and Dahasak Sithuvili by G. D. L. Perera. Peries perhaps capped off the 1960s with his masterwork Nidhanaya.

During the 1970s several talents came to the forefront while commercial cinema continued to steal from Indian films. These include Vasantha Obeysekera who followed up his well-received debut Ves Gatho with a slew of successful films culminating with Palangetiyo in 1979. Another major director who stepped forward during this time is Dharmasena Pathiraja who examined the tensions of city youth in such works as Bambaru Awith and Ahas Gauwa. Artist and poet Mahagama Sekera's sole film Thun Man Handiya is also an important film in Sri Lankan cinema released in 1970. Sumitra Peries, the wife of Lester James Peries, also struck out during the '70s with work that looked at the conflicting roles of women in society. Her work include Gehenu Lamai and Ganga Addara.

The 1980s saw the work of Tissa Abeysekera and the continued work of Sumithra Peries. The 1990s brought Prasanna Vithanage who directed the mature contemplative feature Purahanda Kaluwara in 1997 to rave reviews around the globe.

In recent years films have featured gritty subjects, including family relationships, abortion and the years of conflict between the military and Tamil Tiger rebels in the north.

Sri Lankan films are usually of Sinhalese language. Tamil language movies are also filmed in Sri Lanka but they are not part of Kollywood which is Indian Tamil cinema.

History

Beginnings (1901-1947)

1901 marked the introduction of film to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) when a film was shown for the first time in the country at a private screening for the British governor West Ridgeway and prisoners of the Second Boer War. It was a short film that documented the British victory in the Boer War, the burial of Queen Victoria and the coronation of Edward VII. More English screenings followed and attracted British settlers and Anglicized Sinhalese.

Cinema in Sri Lanka became a public affair due to the efforts of Warwick Major, an Englishman who developed "bioscope" showings. These were films screened out in open areas and makeshift tents. The first permanent theaters were built by Madan Theaters in 1903. The company showed Indian films and achieved success, prompting the development of theaters by the rival Olympia.

In 1925 Rajakeeya Wickremaya (English:Royal Adventure) became the first film to be made in Sri Lanka. Dr. N.M. Perera played the lead in the film which was shown in India and Singapore. In 1933 the film Paliganeema was screened in Colombo.

During the 1920s and 1930s films with American stars like Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Rudolph Valentino, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. were popular in Sri Lanka. The Shiek and The Thief of Bagdad were especially popular. By the 1930s Indian films started to surpass English films in popularity. Bilwa Mangal set an early record for Sri Lankan box office earnings.

Recent years

In 2005 Director Vimukthi Jayasundara became the first Sri Lankan to ever win the prestigious Caméra d'Or award for Best First Film at the world renowned Cannes Film Festival for his Sinhalese language film Sulanga Enu Pinisa (The Forsaken Land). Many Sri Lankan filmmakers have won prestigious awards. The highest Documentary film award being the Golden Mercury at Venice in 1952 and again in 1972 by Pragnasoma Hettiarcahi(this information comes from Dr. D.B Nihalsinge's Book "Public Enterprise in Film Development success and failure In Sri Lanka", there exists no local or international record about this award, Best film award in Venice film festival is Golden Lion).

Controversial filmmaker Asoka Handagama's films are considered by many prestigious names in the Sri Lankan film world to be the best films of honest response to the ethnic conflict currently raging in the country.

Prasanna Vithanage is one of Sri Lanka's most notable filmmakers. His films have won many awards, both local and international. His last two films, 'Death on a Full Moon' and 'August Sun' have been critically acclaimed. While both films deal with the ethnic conflict, 'Death on a Full Moon' can be regarded as one of the best films made to date by a Sri Lankan filmmaker.

Recent releases like 'Sooriya Arana', 'Samanala thatu', 'Hiripoda wessa' have attracted Sri Lankans to cinemas.'Sooriya Arana' was the highest grossing film in Sri Lankan cinema history, generating Rs.121 million at the box office. 'Aba', the forthcoming epic movie by Jackson Anthony will become the most expensive film produced in Sri Lanka costing over 60 million Rupees to produce. Several other countries such as China, Italy and Australia have shown interest in screening this film after its trailer was released. Among them China has shown special interest by considering dubbing it in Chinese. Aba will be released on 8th August, 2008.

Fifty years of cinema (1947–1997)

Gamini and Malini in Nidhanaya which comes to the 1st place in 50 years of cinema.

The Sri Lankan cinema history from January 1947 to January 1997 completed fifty years and also the committee appointed by the cinema authorities to rank the top 10 movies during this period.

Nidhanaya (English: The Treasure) 1972 Sri Lankan film directed by Lester James Peries, starring Gamini Fonseka and Malini Fonseka and based on a story murdering of his wife for the purpose of gaining the treasure. The film won the Silver Lion of St Mark award at the Venice International Film Festival 1972 and also selected one of the outstanding films of the year, receiving a Diploma, at the London Film Festival. This film also selected as the best film of the first 50 years of Sri Lankan cinema.

Rank	Film title	Director	Year released
1	Nidhanaya	Lester James Peiris	1972
2	Gamperaliya	Lester James Peiris
3	Viragaya	Tissa Abeysekere
4	Bambaru Evith	Dharmasena Pathiraja
5	Sath Samudura	Siri Gunasinghe	1966
6	Thun Mang Handiya	Mahagama Sekara
7	Palangettiyo	Wasantha Obesekere
8	Dadayama	Wasantha Obesekere
9	Rekava	Lester James Peiris	1956
10	Parasathumal	Gamini Fonseka
10	Welikathara	D.B.Nihalsinghe

International award winning films

Wekande Walauwa

Wekande Walauwa (Mansion by the Lake) is a 2002 award winning Sinhalese language film directed by Lester James Peries that follows the lives of wealthy people in Sri Lanka. As per the film director the story is inspired by Anton Chekov's play The Cherry Orchard adapted to a Sri Lankan family context.

Sulang Kirilli

Sulang Kirilli (The Wind Bird) directed by Inoka Sathyangani, which deals with the theme of abortion. The film received the highest number of awards won by a single film in the history of Sri Lanka's film industry.

Award winning actors and actress

References

External links

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 * [[Vijaya Kumaranatunga]]
 * [[Anoja Weerasinghe]]
+* [[Henry Jayasena]]
 *  Neeta Fernando
 * [[Swarna Mallawarachchi]]