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Handagama flies into local 
cinemas with 'One Wing'

Thani Thatuwen Piyambanna (Flying With One Wing), the latest film by well-known director Asoka Handagama, which was subject to much controversy will commence screening in town from next month.

The film has already achieved international recognition, representing several international film festivals. It won the Asian Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival (2002), Audience Award for the Best Feature Film and the Jury's Special Mention at the Torino Festival, Italy. The film has been named as the most revolutionary South Asian Film of the year at the Regus London Film Festival. The film has also achieved a Special Jury award for reflecting the reality of lesbianism and homosexuality at the Sebastian Film festival, Italy.

Like Handagama's previous films, Thani Thatuwen Piyambanna focuses on yet another unusual topic which is not frequently talked about. The film is woven around a woman who prefers to act like a man.

Manju (Anoma Jinadari) who conceals her identity from society acts as a boyish car mechanic who is happily married to another woman. After an accident, her secret is revealed to a doctor who tries to blackmail her. In a train of events that follow, she is forced to face the very community that rejects her. Handagama says the heroine of the film is jealous of the rights and privileges enjoyed by males in society. "She attempts to break this structure but fails miserably." The whole film was shot in the Galle Fort and stars Mahendra Perera, W. Jayasiri and Jagath Chamila, Gayani Liyanarachchi.

Inspiration for the film had come from a news story about a woman dressed as a man and living as a man being arrested by police. "But my creations are not founded on a single incident. A creation, a work of art is a moment of a continuous process in the mind." Handagama says often a simple incident that fuels an emotional impulse would suffice to propel him to this "moment".

Handagama says the purpose of the film is the film itself. "What I give society is the result of a creative exercise. It is only if this creation is complete that I can do justice to society.

Therefore, I strive to push my work towards completeness. Nevertheless, I do not believe that I have succeeded in this." The film has already drawn criticism. "That's true. How should I respond to those accusations ? All I have to say is - go ask these questions from the film itself. I say this because it is the film that is best equipped to talk about the film."

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Scorpion King to reign at Liberty

" Live free ... Die well." That is the simple but profound creed on what Mathayus (The Rock) and his people have always lived. He also believes that he can create his own destiny and with that conviction transcends his heritage, evolving from assasin to ....legend to The Scorpion King.

The Scorpion King will be screened at the Liberty Cinema from January 31.

The film unfolds at a time of hardship and brutality, centuries before the raising of the Great Pyramid. As the story begins, the cruel Memnon, portrayed by Steven Brand will stop at nothing to become to become king of the known world.

He faces minimal resistance from the few desperate survivors of his scourge-like attacks. But, a small band of Akkadians, a once-proud clan of assassins, now nearly extinct, is hired to kill the sorcerer (Kelly Hu) who guides Memnon's deadly hand. But this group is shortly reduced to just one - Mathayus (The Rock) who leads the fight to revenge the death of his brother for the people.

Before entering the demanding realm of film acting, Rock (Dwayne Douglous Johnson) conquered the world of professionals wrestling as a record-setting, six time champion of the World Wrestling Federation. His striking debut as the Scorpion King in the Mummy Returns led to his starring role as the same character in The Scorpion King, a film designed to showcase his prowess as an athlete as well as his natural ease as an actor.

Film's director Chuck Russell had always wanted to direct a period sword-fighting adventure. "Those classic films had a great sense of fun about them, they swept you away with high adventure, great heart and an uplifting spirit that I wanted to re-create for this film."

Many of the battles designed for the film are long and involved, with very few cutaways from the main actors. The Rock, Michael Duncan, Steven Brand, Sherri Howard and Kelly Hu (a black belt in karate)- all had done the majority of their own stunt work, allowing the camera to stay close to them throughout the fight scenes instead of taking wider shots to mask the use of stunt doubles.

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