Bennett's Sulanga:

The truth before the Court of Heart

AWARD winning director Bennett Rathnayake's latest celluloid creation "Sulanga" (The Wind) is now being screened in town.

Bennett has this time chosen a far different plot deviating from his previous film Aswesuma which went on to gain international recognition.

Sulanga is woven around a middle aged university lecturer - Senarathne (Sanath Gunathilake) and his wife - Krishanthi (Dilhani Ashokamala).

A case has come before the Family Court. Krishanthi is filing for a divorce from her husband Senarathne, whom she met and married when she was an undergraduate.

She is pregnant with their second child. Krishanthi accuses her husband of having an affair with Kumari, a younger women. Senarathne claims she has misunderstood the whole situation and pleads with her to keep the family together.

Kumari is from a poor rural family. Her mother struggled to bring her up in a way that Kumari could escape from the poverty she was born into. Giving evidence and under cross-examination, each one of them narrates their own version of life's search for happiness.

They promise to tell the truth but each one's truth is different. Truth means one thing in a Court of Law. But what is truth when it comes before the court of the heart? Film's script is also by Bennett himself while music is by Rohana Weerasinghe. Cinematographer is Biju Vishvanath and Assistant Director is Anura Deshapriya.

Art Director is Lal Harendranath while make up is by Ranjith Wickramasinghe. Lyrics are by Prof. Sunil Ariyarathne.

Sulanga Enu Pinisa removed from screening

VIMUKTHI Jayasundara's award winning film Sulanga enu Pinisa (Forsaken Land) has been stopped from screening by the director himself and producer Upul Shantha Sannasgala from Thursday.

The film commenced screening from September 9.

However, issuing a press release the film's director and producer attributed the reason to a decision taken by the Film Corporation to remove the film from screening from five main cinemas from September 20.

They said the Corporation has informed them that the film would be withdrawn from screening without any prior notice.

"Therefore, we have decided to seek legal assistance and at the same time are compelled to stop screening the film from all the cinemas," they mentioned in the release.

Sulanga enu Pinisa - La Teree Abondonce (Forsaken Land), which is the first feature film by Vimukthi won the Camera d'Or for Best First Film at the 58th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival on the French Riviera a few months back.

The film focuses on a timeframe where there is neither war nor peace. Set in the Sri Lankan location, it sheds light on this timeframe and lives of the people.

The film was shot in Kalptiya last year. The cast comprises Mahendra Perera, Kaushalya Fernando, Hemasiri Liyange, Nilupuli Jayawardena, Saumya Liyange and Sapurni Peiris. Director of photography is Channa Deshapriya while the script is also by Vimukthi.

Singer Fashion Designer of the Year... gathers momentum
 

BY PRASAD Abu Bakr

BARELY 10 days are left for receiving entries to the year's most prestigious fashion event sponsored by Singer Sri Lanka, which has gladly come forward to help foster new talent on many occasions before, specially when it involves designing and creating fashionable outfits that largely calls for the involvement of sewing and embroidery techniques.

Chula Nanayakkara Ariyaratne, Sri Lanka's prominently featured fashion designer is organising and choreographing the event.

Talking to the Daily News the designer said that the panel of judges will have a difficult task in hand as there are many entries to choose from, besides the fact that most of them are way above required standards and can be compared to any competent designer we have at present.

The competition promises with it a large number of attractive prizes for the winner and the runners up besides assuring the opportunity of receiving wide publicity and exposure through the many leading publications of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited which is the principal media sponsor of the event.

Entry forms for the competition appears in the Daily News and information about it is made available to readers through the other publications such as Sunday Observer and through Tharunee for the convenience of our sinhala readers.

Entries close on the 5th of October. So hurry with your entries and make use of this golden opportunity of stepping into the limelight as a leading designer of today.