28 (2014 film)
| 28 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Prasanna Jayakody |
| Written by | Prasanna Jayakody |
| Produced by | Rashitha Jinasena |
| Starring | Mahendra Perera Semini Iddamalgoda Rukmal Nirosh |
| Cinematography | Chandana Jayasinghe |
| Edited by | Rangana Singharage |
| Music by | Dheshaka Bamunumulla |
Release date |
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| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Language | Sinhala |
28 is a Sri Lankan feature drama film directed by Prasanna Jayakody and starred by Mahendra Perera, Rukmal Nirosh, Sarath Kothalawala and Semini Iddamalgoda. 28 revolves how three men transport the body of a woman, who was raped and murdered, in an old van. One of the men will find out that the woman is his estranged wife and the film name is given according to the vehicle number (28-Sri) in the film.
The film was screened at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in the Netherlands. It won the NETPAC Jury Award for Best Film. [1] Mahendra Perera and Prasanna Jayakody nominated for two Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Screenplay respectively.
Plot
In a country where sexuality has become a vulgarity, a man sees his wife nude for the first time as she lay dead after she was sexually assaulted on a mortuary table and then struggles emotionally, to at least claim as his own, the merest part of her body.
Lenin is livid that he has been tricked into transporting a dead body but,seeing the dead Suddhi’s torso he agrees unconditionally to transport her body back to the village.When the coffin arrives, the villagers already know how Suddhi died through newspaper reports and rumors resulting in Abasiri's humiliation in front of them.
Suddhi addresses the mourners at her own funeral stating that she is now bereft of fear and censure since she is dead and provides telling and powerful testimony on behalf of all women.
Cast
- Mahendra Perera as Abasiri
- Rukmal Nirosh as Mani
- Semini Iddamalgoda as Suddhi
- Sarath Kothalawala as Lenin
Awards
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotterdam International Film Festival | NETPAC Jury Award | Prasanna Jayakody | Won |
| Asia Pacific Screen Award | Best Screenplay | Prasanna Jayakody | Nominated |
| Best Performance by an actor | Mahendra Perera | Nominated |
Reception
28 was met by mostly positive reviews. Jury of the Rotterdam International Film Festival mentioned that “a well-measured and crafted film that emotionally engages the audience through poetic storytelling of a critical subject.” [4]
References
- ^ "A victorious journey on '28-Sri' | The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka". www.sundaytimes.lk.
- ^ Jayakody, Prasanna (24 January 2014). "28".
- ^ "Much awaited cinematic creation on CEL circuit | The Sunday Times Sri Lanka". www.sundaytimes.lk.
- ^ "Prasanna's '28' brings Lanka into limelight | The Sunday Times Sri Lanka". www.sundaytimes.lk.