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Lankan children's film wins accolades in Italy

The Sri Lankan film industry was in the limelight once again when a children's film "Irasma" won a certificate of merit at the 12th Prix Leonardo International film festival of Parma, Italy recently. The film is scheduled to be released locally next month.

It is most encouraging to see that such Sri Lankan films are being recognised in the international arena at a time when locals are yearning for films catering to children and teens.

Directed by Ariyaratne Vithana, Irasma unravels the story of the girl - Irasma, strong as the sun and soft as a flower, who loses her parents' love and struggles to regain it. After a quarrel between the father and mother, little girl Irasma is separated from parents and lives with her grandmother. She grows up as an intelligent adolescent and strongly feels the absence of her mother.

Hirushini Abeygunawardena (childhood) and Ama Wijesekera (teens) play the role of Irasma. The cast also includes Iranganee Serasinghe, Douglas Ranasinghe, Moreen Charunee, Duleeka Marapana, Priyankara Ratnayake and several child artistes.

The film's script is also by Vithana himself.While being happy about the film's achievement, Vithana stressed that a proper scheme should be prepared to make such films more closer to the children.

"More state patronage should be given to this sector and such a scheme should come through the state itself," Vithana added. Vithana has a number of films, TV features, TV documentaries, stage plays and short stories to his credit. Vithana received four Presidential awards for his children's film " Athuru Mithuru " in 1987.

It represented Sri Lanka at the Moscow International Film Festival and Bangalore International Film Children's festival. His " Thrupthi " a short film on child rights represented Sri Lanka at the Chicago International Children's film festival. He is also the founder of the Children's Film Society of Sri Lanka and serves as General Secretary from its inception.

Irasma is sponsored by the Film Development Fund of the National Film Corporation. It is also scheduled to take part in several other international festivals.

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Chicago - a feast for eyes and ears

Local film lovers will get a momentous occasion to experience an Oscar award winning film within just one and a half months of the Academy Festival as " Chicago " commenced screening from yesterday at the Majestic Cinema.

Chicago is a stunning spectacle full of intrigue, love, betrayal, rivarly and friendship - a pageant of music and dance that adroitly shifts between reality and fantasy. The film is imported and distributed here by Cinema Entertainment (Pvt) Ltd.

Chicago bagged six Academy awards including the Best Film at the 75th Annual Academy Festival held on March 23, 2003. The film also won awards for the Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta Jones), Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. It was nominated for 13 Academy Awards.

The razzle-dazzle musical satire - Chicago - also stars Golden Globe Award winner for the best actor in the lead role - Richard Gere and Renee Zellwegger. The film is directed by Rob Marshall.

Based on Bob Fosse's broadway musical about two jazz murderesses using their jail-house celebrity to further their singing career, it is set in the heady days of the early years of the 20th century world of Chicago gangsters in the period of prohibition.

After being turned into a 1926 broadway play based on the story of two real celebrity murderesses who lived in the 1920s, Chicago was turned into 1927 silent movie, a 1942 film starring Ginger Rogers and a modern broadway show, which debuted in 1975 and was revived in 1996.

Local audiences could experience a special feast of music, songs and dance to be enjoyed on the wide screen with Dolby and dts sound at the Majestic Cinema.

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A Serial Thriller

Anthony Hopkins shines in a remarkable performance as Doctor Hannibal Lecter in "Red Dragon" now showing at the Liberty Theatre.

Producer Dino de Laurentiis who has been making films for over 60 years described the character of Hannibal Lecter of "The Silence of the Lambs" fame, as a part of a handful of roles that became an integral part of pop culture in modern movies. That fact is dramatically demonstrated in "Red Dragon" the recent sequel to Director Brett Ratners earlier thriller "The Silence of the Lambs".

A killer like Dr. Hannibal Lecter always has his fans. They believe in him not merely as a hero but as a cult figure that consoles their week minds. One such fan appears in form of merciless slayer of sleeping families who strikes under the full moon. Ralph Fiennes playing the role of Francis Dolarhyde occupies the third side of "Red Dragons" tense triangle, linking Lecter and Will Graham, the FBI agent who puts Lecter behind bars. Actor Edward Norton gives an equally shining performance besides Anthony Hopkins as Graham. In fact one could describe him as complementing Hopkins marvellous screen presence.

Based on a book by Thomas Harris "Red Dragon" has a cast that deliver their roles in no minor intent.

They all excel in their performances. Emily Watson as the blind Reba McClane adds lustre to the film amongst those others supporting her. Screenwriter Ted Tally who has done justice to all the characters that appear in the film describes Hannibal as an anti-hero people respond to as someone they admire because he can get away with doing and saying things that non of us can get away with.

Actor Hopkins has described his role as fascinating since it carries a dark side of every human being, "Hannibal makes people face up to their lies and their shadows and the dark side of themselves" observes the actor who received an Academy Award for his remarkable performance in "The Silence of the Lambs" in 1991. However "Red Dragon" can be put in the superb category of today's movies that never stops short of thrilling an audience.

- Prasad Abu Bakr

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Indian Film Festival 2003

An Indian Film Festival will be held in Ruhunu University, Matara from May 27 to 30, 2003. This festival organised by the Indian High Commission, Asian Film Centre and Ruhunu University Cultural Centre. Four feature films will be screened at this festival and screening commences everyday at 5.00 p.m.

Zanjeer directed by Prakash Mehra will be screened on May 27. The story of Zanjeer is about a policeman (Amitab Bachchan) who cannot overcome the childhood trauma of having witnessed the murder of his parents. To avenge the killing, he opts out of the police force, enlist the help of an ex-criminal and tracks down the killer. It was the film with which the "Bachchan" myth began to unfold.

Sarfarosh directed by John Mathew scheduled to be screened on May 28. Based on a proxy war played by Pakistan in India, Sarfarosh shows how the Mohajirs (Muslims who went to Pakistan after the partition) in Pakistan are still living there like foreigners, and they have yet to get equal rights from the native Pakistanis. In some way this movie tries to show how Muslims in India are being victimised because of a few bad Muslims who are linked from Pakistan and are involved in illegal terrorist activities in India.

Pyaasa (The Thirsty One), was directed and produced by Guru Dutt in 1957 is now an acknowledged classic in Indian cinema. It was with Pyassa, a film brought Guru Dutt, considerable critical success, which he came into the limelight.

The story of the misunderstood poet exploited by society and jilted in love, whose work is published through the philanthropy of a prostitute, and who then renounces the fame it brings him, is the first of Guru Dutt's masterpieces. Pyassa is a romantic melodrama set in Calcutta that tells of the thirst for love, and thirst for recognition, and the thirst for spiritual fulfilment.

The festival will conclude on May 30 with the screening of the film The Making of Mahatma directed by Shyam Benegal one of the leading filmmakers in India and co-produced by India and South Africa. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a young England educated Barrister-at-Law then practising in Rajkot in Kathiawad is invited by an Indian firm in South Africa to handle their lawsuit.

His services are required for a year. But during the very first year he is a witness to and the victim of unjust humiliation and racist hatred. Gandhi stays on in South Africa for twenty one years to fight the oppressive regime. Satyagraha is invented and employed by Gandhi. Gandhi returned to India not as Gandhi but as Mahatma, the man destined to free his country from foreign rule through the non-violent means of Satyagraha.

The festival is open to public free of charge.

These films will be repeated in Colombo on June 11, 12 and 14 at the Russian Centre.

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