Receives Best Film award at Mexico:

Samanala Thatu flies high

ALTHOUGH acclaimed film director Somarathne Dissanayake was unable to grace the Mexico international festival his latest film had brought much honour and glory to both Somaratne and the country.

His latest film Samanala Thatu "Butterfly Wings" has won the best feature film in the international competition of the 10th Festival Internaclonal de Sine Para Ninos or known as the Mexico International Film Festival held in Mexico city from August 9 to 14.

Somaratne was proud of this achievement. "I am happy that this film won the best film award in the first international festival represented."

Although Somaratne had not been present to obtain the award personally at the festival, the organisers had communicated to him about this victory. They have also made arrangements to provide the award through a friend of Somaratne.

Nine feature films from different countries such as Denmark, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Sri Lanka and France were screened in Mexico city. Somaratne's film has been judged as the winner of the "best film" award by the jury.

In Mexico, Samanala Thatu had been screened at three cinemas known as Cineteca Nacional, Sala Jose Revueitas and Cinemex Aragon.

Samanala Thatu, the fourth film by Somaratne, is woven around a street boy who pursues a childish dream of owning a bicycle. His parents are street singers who earn a daily living with apparently no hope for the future, but each child has a hope and a dream for bicycle of his own.

In his previous films too, Somaratne had focused on children's world and the impact caused by adults on children.

"Like in my other films, I have attempted this time too to portray how the child is exposed to the corruption and other injustices of the adult world and the suffering he has to endure as a result," Somarathne told in an earlier interview with the Stage & Screen.

The film depicts how the child faces harassment and suffering in his efforts to raise a 'quick buck'. He is subjected to child labour and other kinds of harassment and abuse.

He escapes from these very difficult situations and is able to raise a sufficient amount of money, but he has to spend them for his father's medical expenses.

Dasun Madhusanka who played the role of the Buddhist monk in Somarathne's previous film Sooriya Arana plays the role of the street child.

The rest of the cast comprises Suminda Sirisena, Duleeka Marapana, Dulanjalie Ariyathilake, Jayalath Manoratne, Chandra Kaluarachchi, Giriraj Kaushalya, Wijaya Nandasiri, Jagath Beneragama and Anton Jude.

Music is by Rohana Weerasinghe while the Assistant Director is Daminda Madawala.

The film's script is by Somarathne himself while the producer is his wife Renuka Balasooriya.

Somaratne said the film has already received invitations for a number of festivals to be held in Canada, Germany, Colombo, Japan and India etc in the coming months.