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| Wednesday, 13 October 2004 |
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Artscope | |
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Inoka exudes optimism by E. M. G. Edirisinghe
It is essential that we should have a cinema culture of which film criticism and appreciation are an integral part. We have not developed a culture of constructive and appreciative film reviews, says Inoka Sathyagani in an interview with The Artscope. Excerpts: Question: It's great for you to have won the award for the best director on your maiden attempt in cinema. How do you take up this honour? Answer: My entry to audio-visual medium is through television. Nonagathayaka Nimawa a single episode teledrama which I produced was honoured with the award for the best production at the Sumathi and OCIC tele award festivals. I was still a student when I developed an interest in arts. My original ambition to be a lawyer was dropped to embrace art. I expected it to keep me independent to seek emotional satisfaction, and establish my own identity that gave me joy and inner strength. Q: Can you explain your background that pushed you to cinema? A: I enjoyed art from my very childhood. My father loved arts and the artists who frequented our home then are among the most prominent artists today. My parents never insisted in what I should do and I had the freedom to decide for myself. I watched a lot of films on television. Thus my first association with cinema was at home. As one who learned from the fraternity at home, I produced several plays for my school. One day, the muhurat of Sunil Ariyaratne's Bambara Geethaya was held at our home. That day who attracted me most from among many who were present there was the director. How he commanded the artistes and technicians, moved briskly and ordered everyone to silence, fascinated me instilling an impression that never left me. Q: Before your entry to cinema, did you have any formal training or education in cinema? A: In 1992 I was a final year LLB student when in response to an advertisement in the Daily News, I applied for the post of trainee-director at Telecine. I was the only woman applicant among the 40 applicants and finally I was the one to be selected. While studying the audio-visual media at Telecine, I was selected to do several television commercials, too. Q: You are fortunate to have won the award for the best director as well as the award for the best script. This is a rare achievement. Did your own script offer you any challenge to your own role as the director of the film? Personal vision A: Every work I have done hitherto were based on my own scripts and I have no intention to change it even in the future. Every ingredient that I need to prepare a curry should be of my own choice and taste. Each creator has his or her own personal vision. That is what goes to feed recreation on screen. I find it hard to get into somebody else's perspective of a vision. One's identity is not stationary; it continues to change and grow. I do not want to be too busy; I love to be lazy as well. Q: What real life experience had been instrumental in moving you to write the script for Sulang Kirilli: A: Yes, it was based on a true story. On an average of 1,000 abortions per day, legal and illegal, are being done in our country. Most of the victims are from poor rural families. None appear to speak or console them in their moment of agony and frustration. Motherhood is the noblest status in the life of a woman and we must be awakened to this fact. That is why humanism in me compelled me to do my first film on abortion. Q: If I observe the presence of tragedy of man more than that of woman in your film, what would be your response? A: It is also a possible perceptible interpretation, an aspect I did not emphasise much; but, I have conceived it without being conscious of it. The critics could analytically bring out whatever depth and extension they see. My film addresses the intellect of the social elite as well as the emotions of the ordinary people. A soldier lives himself confined to twin-enclosures, Army and home. Therefore he is socially and emotionally constrained, and seeks relief wherever possible. Q: In 1998 at the Oscars, the award for the best director was won by Private Ryan and Shakespeare in Love won the award for the best film. Similarly, in 2001 while Purasanda Kaluwara won the best film award, Aswesuma won the award for the best director. This year too, we witness a similar situation. How do you assess it? A: This division of awards is quite possible. The best film could be the one to which the totality of value of its subsidiary talent and honours are attached. Director's art Q: Film is a director's art. Do you agree with it? A: Most certainly. It is the director of the film who is the commander. While film remains a director's art, it is also clearly a work of collective effort of several artistes. Yet it is the personality and perspicacity of the director that matter in determining its composition. That is why when a movie fails it is the director who fails and when it is a success honour goes to those who have made their contribution to the total work. Q: In the West where the people believe that woman was created out of a rib of man to be man's companion, movements such as feminism have arisen to counteract the secondary status of woman. How far, do you think such a movement is efficacious in Sri Lanka. A: To begin with we never admired consumerism. It came to us through Victorian puritanism and foreign invasions. Earlier we had no distinction between man and woman. But, with the passage of consumerism into our society woman herself became a commodity, baduwak. To consider woman as an article of trade is a western concept. Certainly not ours. In our culture woman and man are spiritually and intellectually equal. That is why spiritual perfection is considered the highest form of achievement for man or woman. Q: Can you explain the success your film gained at international film festivals? A: It won several international recognitions at international film festivals. I am proud to have brought honour to Sri Lanka with my maiden cinematic effort. For instance, it won the best film award, the international critic award for the best director and the best actress award at the 8th Dhaka International Film Festival held in 2004, the jury award for the Best Film and the Best New Director award at the 21st Cinematica Del Uruguay and the Silver Dhaw award for the Best Feature Film at the Zanzibar International Film Festival in Tanzania (2003) and finally, it was the official selection at 16 different film festivals held around the world. Critic response Q: How do you evaluate critic response and audience response to a film? A: I recognize both. It is essential that we should have a cinema culture of which film criticism and appreciation are an integral part. We have not developed a culture of constructive and appreciative film reviews. My film was a critic as well as a box-office success. Thus it captured the hearts of a substantial cross section of the country. Q: We have only two woman film directors active at the moment in an industry dominated by men. You are one of them, and can you explain what obstacles you had to overcome in your journey so far? A: So many. I never allowed, however, my womanhood either to be an ornament or a door-mat in my profession. Also, my womanhood was not made to be a burden on me or my work. Sri Lankan woman had been living under a self-censorship which restricts her in her physical and intellectual endeavours. But, I did not commit myself to such censorship. I developed a healthy relationship with everyone without sacrificing my self-respect and honour. I love myself too much which I always strive to protect. Q: Can you say something about your plans for your future in cinema? A: I think the future of our cinema is good. My next film will be totally different from Sulang Kirilli. It is basically investigative and goes into a new depth hitherto unfathomed. I do not intend making the same type of movies. I like to experiment more and more, and reach new and wider horizons. **** Back **** |
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