Is Harry the chosen one?

Harry Potter magic on silver screen for the first time in Sri Lanka

CINEMA: It is Harry Potter’s fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts has been selected to hold the recently returning wizard competition known as the ‘Triwizard Tournament’, a traditional tournament which pits three schools against each other.

When Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, the rival schools, arrive, the rules are announced. People over 17 who are interested must insert their name into the Goblet of Fire, and those chosen will be the Champions of their respective school.

Though Harry does not apply, the Goblet of Fire mysteriously selects him as a second representative of Hogwarts in the tournament. Harry soon finds himself thrown into a brutal test of strength and mind only to ultimately find himself in the middle of Lord Voldemort’s trap as he plans to return. Now Harry has to face the greatest challenge yet: defeat a revived Lord Voldemort!

‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, the fantasy film based on J. K. Rowling’s fourth novel series will be the first Potter movie to be screened in Sri Lanka. The magical tale of the boy wizard will unfold at the Liberty theatre from July 20.

Released in November 2005, the film enjoyed an immensely successful run at the box office, earning over $892 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing film of the year. The DVD went on to become the fastest selling DVD of all time.

It is also the second-highest grossing Harry Potter film, behind ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction, but lost to ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’.

The fifth film of the series ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the

Phoenix’ will be released worldwide on July 13 while ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’, the last book of the series will be launched on July 21.

Credits:

Directed by Mike Newell

Produced by David Heyman
David Barron

Starring

Daniel Radcliffe
Rupert Grint
Emma Watson
Michael Gambon
Ralph Fiennes
Robert Pattinson
Brendan Gleeson
Miranda Richardson
Alan Rickman
Robbie Coltrane
Maggie Smith
David Tennant
Stanislav Ianevski

‘Yugayata Nimavum - 2007’ at Kurunegala

EXHIBITION: Yugayata Nimavum - 2007 handicraft new design show and trade fair 2007 organised by the National Design Centre in consultation with the Ministry of Rural Industries and Self-Employment Promotion and is assisted by the North Western Provincial Council, will be held at Kurunegala Town Hall on July 16 and 17.

S.B. Nawinna, Minister of Rural Industries and Self-Employment Promotion and Premalal Jayasekera, Minister of Rural Industries, Athula Wijesinghe, Chief Minister of NWP, Victor Anthony Perera, Minister of Rural Industries of NWPC will be at the opening ceremony on July 16 at 10 a.m.

A wide range of creative handicrafts such as brass, lacquer, rush and reed, wood, red clay, coir, bamboo, cane, textile and handmade paper products will be on display.

Pradeep transmutes base metal into gold

Srithijaya to be released soon:

MUSIC: Sri Lankan maestro of sitar music, often dubbed as the Ravi Shankar of the local scene, Pradeep Ratnayake will launch his newest cassette and compact disk, Sithijaya at Pradeepanjalee XII, the concert due to be held at the BMICH on July 15 at 7 p.m. Ratnayake’s first ever DVD will be based on this concert.

Sithijaya will turn a new page in the Sri Lankan classical music scene. The music is targeted at popular enjoyment, entertainment and relaxation. According to the sitarist the goal of Sithijaya is to take his music beyond his regular fans and give the mass population a chance to experience the joy and serenity of the sitar.

Trained in classical Hindustani music in Santhinikethan, India, Pradeep had engaged in a quest to give a Sri Lankan identity to his sitar. His newest creation is a further step to achieving this horizon.

The wealth of Indian classical music together with Sri Lankan folk tunes, percussion and Western music together blends into a unique flavour of music that is synonymous to Rathnayake alone.

Sithijaya consists of 12 compositions. Harsha Makalanda, Soundari David, Jayantha Dissanayake, Kumara Liyanarachchi, Ravibandu Vidyapathi, Jayantha Warakagoda, Nelson Bramanayagam, Shiraz Noor Amith, Karunaratne Bandara, Wijeratne Ranatunge, Lakshman Joseph de Saram, Kalani Perera, Tamara Holsinger, Kolitha Bhandu Disanayaka, Arul, Madhavi Shilpadhpathi, Mahendra Pasquel, Alston Joachim, Upul Madushanka, Manilal Weerakoon, Hasitha Pathirana, Nalaka Perera, Suresh Malayadda, ‘Soul sounds’ the choir directed by Soundrie David have all contributed to the CD. Sithijaya and the Pradeepanjalee DVD are both produced by Torana.

Passes for the concert will be issues free of charge at Torana and Liberty Plaza.

Jana Karaliya now in Tangalle

STAGE DRAMA: Jana Karaliya commenced in 2004 has entered into its successful third year. It performs a silent service to the community by going to distant hamlets and performing for the common people who had never seen a drama and also conducting drama education programmes for school children and youth.

Commenced from Nomads Grounds of Colombo Jana Karaliya, has travelled through the districts of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam and Trincomalee during past three years.

Dramatist Parakrama Niriella, H.A. Perera, Ravindra Maapitigama and Dilip Rohana are the leaders in this task. For the first time in this country a well-trained multi-ethnic young drama group performs both in Sinhala and Tamil languages. Consequently, Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims could enjoy these dramas without any language differences.

Jana Karaliya Drama and Theatre programmes were started in Hambantota District in February 14 this year. The first attractive part of Jana Karaliya, the Mobile Theatre of it was kept installed till May 27 on the Urban Council ground of Hambantota and two drama festivals and one International Film Festival was held during that time.

Now that Mobile Theatre has brought to Tangalle and has installed on the Muslim College ground in order to conduct Jana Karaliya activities further in the same district.

This time too Jana Karaliya, has the support and assistance of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage and Southern Province Education Department. The second attractive part of Jana Karaliya, The Drama Festival of it will be held from July 8 to 17.

This Drama Festival will consist of Charandas which won nine awards from the National Drama Festival of 2006. As the same, Seethambarapata (Written by Mangala Senanayake), Andaramal, Makararaksha (A Russian play translated by Kalubovila Cyril C. Perera) will be staged with Soru Avilla (Written by Sumith Samarasinghe) and Devlowa Gamana children’s plays.

In addition to the Jana Karaliya productions, as invited plays, Asinamalee directed by Pujitha De Mel, Godura and Ruhunu Kumari of Basil Ratnaweera, Dangayo with Api Saha Api by Lakshman K. Pathirana will be staged. On July 15 a concert of the traditional local artistes of Hambantota district will be presented.

From July 4 to 7 Jana Karaliya and the Future Peace Youth Circle will jointly present an international Film Festival. In this Film Festival “Children of Heaven”, “Ghandi”, “Colour of Paradise” and “Little Republic” with Sinhala sub titles will be screened.

The Drama and Film Festivals, Drama and Theatre Workshops and Drama Appreciation programmes will be conducted for teachers and school students and also for the local youth in the Hambantota district with the assistance of District Secretariat and Zonal Education Offices of Tangalle, Walasmulla and Hambantota.

Avanthi Udakumbura is the Co-ordinator of Jana Karaliya activities while Nishantha Kularatne is the Manager of the Mobile Theatre Group. Jana Karaliya plays are being performed by a specially trained group of talented performing artists representing both ethnicities, Sinhala and Tamil consist of Jayantha Muthuthanthri, Manjula Ranasinghe, Suneth Shanthapriya, Sumudu Mallawarachchi, Palitha Abelal, Chaminda Prasad, Muyandi Kalidas, Sokkalingam Chrishanthan, Ajanthan Shanthikumar, Verni Theresa, Arosha Tharanganie, Ronika Chamali, Sineth Devinda, Thyagaraja Sivanesan, Sam Paul, Praneeth Jeewantha, Dinesh Sri Livera, Rasaiya Lohanandan, Malithi Kumari, Selvaraj Leelawathie, Balachrishnan Radhika, Sodivel Sridevi, Inoka Lankapura, Chandanie Malkanthi, Ranjith Sumith Fernando and Kanchana Nanayakkara.

In search of a road (ISR)

Sydney Knight

FILM REVIEW: Thanks to the Colombo based International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) one of slain Neelan Tiruchelvam’s lasting legacies repeating the above stated film I was able to see perhaps one of the best of its kind in recent times.

Dharmasena Pathiraja (DP) who has been making films from the late 1960s has given the filmgoers another excellent production.

During and at the end of the film one could hear/see/read that DP has been helped by folk from the local world of arts such as Tissa Abeysekera, Sumathy Sivamohan and of course Sharmini Chelliah Masilamony. In and through the medium of the film DP using the history of the 1905 - 2005 period of the Jaffna Railway portrays the sad tale of Sri Lanka.

It is a journey of a people. Folk travelling to and from Jaffna, the railway from Colombo to Jaffna now sadly only up to Vavuniya. The A9 from Kandy to Jaffna. In the film one sees not only the people also the significance of places. Not just Jaffna but also Kandy, Peradeniya, Polgahawela, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi. Both what was and is.

The destruction of the line beyond Vavuniya is seen. The reason the war, the bombing of the Yal Devi. The old Jaffna station, now just remains. The old Jaffna no more. The hotel, the Kachcheri.

The war affecting not only the “Jaffna man” but also the Sinhalese, the baker and the school teacher leaving. Also the eviction of the Muslims. The role of the Plantation Tamils. The war creating refugees. The move from Jaffna to other areas, within the North and outside. The film shows those who go back looking for the past. Also those who want to move on.

Can one move on forgetting this past? Memories, remembrances, history (her story too), hurt, wounds, pain, suffering, trauma. The film certainly was very emotional. What have we done with Sri Lanka? Was the question in my mind.

There were moments when one’s eyes become moist. Can we in Sri Lanka knowing what has gone on due to the war learn from South Africa? The Truth and Reconciliation? Forgiveness? The healing of memories?

For all that those who in Sri Lanka are fighting terrorism must stop this war. We need to talk. Hammer out a solution. Lasting negotiated pece.

Only then can we like in South Africa work out the post war rehabilitation. In the meantime what about Peace Education in our Schools? Teaching our students to live/work in peace. Preparing the ground for peace in Sri Lanka. Our thanks to Pathiraja for a well timed film. Also all those who helped him. And certainly the ICES.

Outstanding Sri Lankan artistic creations win praise in Canada

STAGE DRAMA: The Buddhist Society in Calgary, which promotes the spiritual and cultural needs of the Sri Lankans, recently presented the drama, Kusa Paba directed by Desha Kala Keerthie, Kala Bhooshana Irangani Kalutanthri, under the guidance of Lal Perera and Rev. Upananda, Chief incumbent of Ehipassiko Buddhist temple.

It was held on April 7 under the patronage of the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Canada, W.J.S. Karunaratne, and has been acclaimed as an outstanding artistic creation. The Sri Lankan expatriates in these provinces appreciated the benefits as their talents and skills are pooled and channelled to these creations.

Kalutanthri is an Arts graduate of the University of Peradeniya, with a Post Graduate course in Drama, and has been honoured with these titles for her outstanding contribution to the drama field. She is committed to youth activity, making unfailing efforts for her innovative creations, which have won much praise and commendation.

An ardent lover of culture, heritage and history and firmly rooted in Sri Lankan customs and traditions, her artistic creations reflect her devotion to it. She always, decides on culture-vision programs to provide opportunities for Sri Lankan expatriates, who live distanced from the cultural background of Sri Lanka.

Some of them, among the younger generation, cannot read, write or talk, in the mother tongue, Sinhala but she draws their talents, trains them, to display their potential. She has a few outstanding plays to her credit, such as Kuvanna, Le Neyo, Kusa Natakaya, Sapaya Laddo, Dutugemunu, and Dayaka Kandulu. She produced Glimpse of Lanka for Vancouver, Devotion for Ottawa, Pride of Lanka for Edmonton, Kusa Paba for Calgary.

She has undertaken to do this project for the International Buddhist Congress, in Canada. She has selected a unique theme, the story of Prince Sidhartha, titled “Light Of Asia,” up to the Enlightenment.

The focus is on a message of compassion, which the living beings of the Globe are in dire need of today. It is blessed with the honorary participation of multi-cultural communities in Canada. ‘Light of Asia’ was held on May 26 in Calgary, Canada.

Pyramus and Thisby returns!

STAGE DRAMA: Colombo is all abuzz once more with news of wild fairies that seek to tickle, tease and titillate audiences at Pyramus & Thisby, Jehan Aloysius’ hilarious adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

These outrageous fairies have been sighted causing havoc around Colombo 3, as they prepare for their spectacular show at the British Council Garden from the July 12 to 15 at 7.30 p.m.

This groundbreaking show wowed Colombo audiences when it was first performed last year is presented by CentreStage Productions in partnership with the British Council.

The play is a magical blend of Shakespeare’s verse, exciting dance and music from low-country Sri Lanka. Pyramus & Thisby boasts a stellar cast of prominent English theatre personalities as well as professional dancers, acrobats and musicians.

Jehan Aloysius, the show’s creator states that, “the first run of Pyramus & Thisby was a surprising success. The cast had worked so hard over five months of gruelling pre-work and rehearsals devising the show at workshops, while also learning acrobatics and various styles of Eastern dance. The critics, academics, foreigners, veteran thespians and theatre lovers unanimously appreciated the work that had gone into the show.”