Caught between heaven and hell:
Ranjith to portray reality of life in Greener Pastures
FILM director Ranjith Kuruppu is busy preparing groundwork for a new
celluloid creation and a teledrama which he describes would portray the
reality of Sri Lankans seeking greener pastures in Western countries.
Ranjith Kuruppu |
"These creations are going to be controversial," Ranjith told me when
I met him last Tuesday along with Sarasaviya Deputy Editor Aruna
Gunaratne. Ranjith who has been living in Germany since 1973, is here on
a short visit.
Ranjith has titled his film "Surapura Asabada" (Bridal Banquet in
Paris). He explained that this film focuses on Sri Lankans seeking a
better life in Western countries and the cultural calamity they face due
to the vast cultural differences between Sri Lanka and those Western
countries.
"The title of the film itself reveals the story of the film -
Surapura Asabda (Near Heaven). People are just besides heaven but cannot
enter it. This is the tragedy faced by most of our people going there,"
he noted.
The film will be based in Paris. "A French company has undertaken to
produce this film and we are now making adjustments in the scripts. It
will be shot in Europe and in Sri Lanka."
Ranjith describes himself as a film director and screenplay writer by
profession. "I have dedicated my whole life to art just like my father.
What I believe I practise. If I wanted to make money I had many
opportunities, but I did not do. Art is my life."
Ranjith's father Dharmadasa Kuruppu too was a well-known artiste - an
actor and stage play director.
Before leaving Sri Lanka Ranjith was actively engaged in Left
politics for more than a decade.
"I learned much during this period. I am proud to call myself a man
who studied in the Street University," says Ranjith recalling those who
were associated with him at the time. Once, he was even taken to the
Fourth Floor for questioning on his political involvement.
Ranjith's maiden film "Pawana Ralu Viya" (The House of Gentle Souls)
won three Sarasaviya awards in 1995.
The awards were for the Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and
Best Screenplay which was won by Ranjith himself. The film was initially
banned in Sri Lanka but later the ban was lifted.
Now, Ranjith has arrived Sri Lanka to make arrangements for his
maiden teledrama. He plans to begin shooting of this teledrama titled "Puthuni
Hamba Giya" (Plight of the Sworn) by the end of next month. The story
and script are by Ranjith. He plans to direct the teledrama too.
Ranjith received an invitation to do a teledrama for Swarnavahini
from the late filmmaker H.D. Premaratne who was serving as a director
there.
"Knowing my capacity, talents and skills, he invited me to do this
teledrama for Swarnavahini and I accepted it. He even made arrangements
to select the cast before his untimely death. The new management has
also given the greenlight and we are now making necessary arrangements."
He has already selected the actors and actresses for the main roles -
among them are Nadeesha Hemamali and Mahendra Perera.
"This teledrama will focus on Sri Lankan youth leaving for Western
countries seeking a better life, but mostly face debacles being
strangled between two worlds. These youth go to these countries not
knowing the culture, mentality and even languages of their destination
country.
They are leaving Sri Lanka mainly due to economic problems and think
their problems will be resolved - which is not true."
This teledrama will be shot in Germany and Sri Lanka.
Commenting on the local film industry, Ranjith stressed that it has
been facing a crisis.
"What I learnt there can't use in Sri Lanka. I mean cinematography
and various other methods mainly due to the budgetary problems of
films."
Ranjith stressed that it is necessary to focus on making films that
cater to the international audience to face crisis in the film sector.
"If we cannot do that, we will not able to solve this crisis. There is a
dearth of cinematic films here."
He refuted certain arguments that television has affected the local
film industry. "In Germany, despite 100 - 600 odd television channels
offering best movies and other entertainment, cinemas are housefull most
of the time." Ranjith says "Kino Polis", a cinema complex located in
Bad-Godersberg off Bonn, Germany where his home is located, is full most
of the time.
"This complex has 12 cinemas and 12 different films are running at a
time with two shows a day. You have to reserve tickets earlier if you
want to see a movie as it is fully crowded."
"Therefore, it is very clear that teledrama or television is not a
challenge for the film industry if quality and cinematic movies are
produced. Here, I think most films are similar to teledramas. Cinema is
not telling a story - but teledrama is telling a story."
He noted that it is useless to blame any of the previous Governments
for the downfall of the local cinema. "It is useless to blame the past
or present Government or the National Film Corporation for the crisis in
the film industry.
"Of course, a Government has to look after national industries. But
there is no point putting the whole blame on the Government. What we
have and our equipment are more than enough to do better cinematic
films."
Ranjith is also writing his autobiography.
Dubai International Film Festival:
Showcasing Arab Cinema
THE Dubai International Film Festival was held in Dubai from 11-17
December 2005. Sri Lanka was represented by Guerilla Marketing directed
by Jayantha Chandrasiri. Jayantha participated with his team Jackson
Anthony, Kamal Addaraarachchi and Yashoda Wimaladharma.
The writer was invited for the entire festival period by the
Directorate of the Dubai International Film Festival.
Over 85 films were included in the festival programme, focusing on
various important categories of Cinema in the Arab world and also Asia,
Africa and rest of the world.
The festival was very important particularly for the new generation
of film makers in the UAE as the festival aims at encouraging and
developing young talents in the field of cinema and introducing it to
local and international communities.
Nine films from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were
screened in the section 'Cinema from the Subcontinent'. India was
represented by renowned filmmakers including Deepa Mehta (Water/2005),
Jahnu Barua (I Did Not Kill Gandhi/2005).
One of the very unusual films in this section was Reaching Silence a
debut feature by the Bengali director Jahar Kanungo.
Sri Lanka was represented by Guerilla Marketing by Jayantha
Chandrasiri. Dubai Discoveries unveiled six outstanding debut features
by Arab directors who are determined to do well outside the commercial
mainstream.
Their films transport us to many different environments, including
Morocco's Atlas Mountains, the Paris suburbs and the ancient city of
Sanaa in Yemen.
Seven feature films including three outstanding works by first time
feature directors were screened at the section titled In Honour of
Africa. The cinema of Africa is as diverse as the continent itself.
For too long, Africa has been considered a monolith, its various
nations, cultures and peoples lumped into a conveniently homogenous
mass, characterized by poverty and strife.
The films in this section reflected the continent's myriad qualities
and focus on many issues affecting Africa today. One of the excellent
films screened in this section was Moolaade (Senegal/2004) directed by
the great master of African Cinema Ousmane Sembene.
The film depicted the story of the circumcised woman who has managed
to help her only daughter escape this ritual "purification" organized
every seven years.
A new segment of this edition of the Dubai Film Festival was Insights
from Asia. It offered films from different countries, cultures and
industries, representing different genres.
Films from China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea were screened in
this section including latest work of Asia's finest Wong Kar-wai
(2046/Hong Kong/2004), Oscar-winner Hayao Miyazaki (Howl's Moving
Castle/Japan/2004) and Gu Changwei (Peacock/China/2005).
- Ashley Ratnavibhushana
Celebrating 'Mille Soya'
IT was a night to celebrate the enormous success of a single film by
one of Sri Lanka's young film directors of our time. 'Mille Soya' walked
away with major awards at all three important film award ceremonies held
in 2005.
Its ratings rose high for its novel approach and non -political
attitude towards the subject matter handled by the director Boodie
Keerthisena. The Presidents Film Festival, The Sarasaviya Film Festival
and The Signis Film Festival all selected Mille Soya as an outstanding
entity.
At a grand function recently the producer of the film Buddhi
Keerthisena shared his pleasure with the cast and production unit of the
film for the success it achieved.
The star studded event had some prominent film and other
personalities like Dr. Lester James Peries, Sumithra Peries, Music
Maestro W.D.Amaradeva, D. B. Nihalsinghe and many more. There were clips
of the many functions that took place during and after the screening of
the film.
In addition guests were treated to a private viewing of what went
behind the sets during the filming of Mille Soya both here and on
location abroad. It was interesting to note the sweat and toil that goes
on towards producing a film of that calibre.
Among the notable gathering was Artist Chandraguptha Thenuwara who
also had his part of the glory by winning an award for his backdrop and
set- designing of the film and the musician brothers who go by the name
'Jaya Shri'.
They were responsible for the background score of the movie, both
sharing their time between their native Sri Lanka and Vienna where they
live.
- Prasad Abu Bakr |