Space for expression

14, a new cinema journal in Sinhala was launched recently. The first issue was presented to Lester James Peries who celebrated his 92nd Birthday on April 5.

Looking back at the censorship, judiciary process and the judgment of the film Purahanda Kaluwara, ten years ago and analyzing the situation on censorship world around today, the first issue of 14 focuses on the State, Censorship and Art and is a tribute to Lester, who has defended the young filmmakers' right to freedom of expression in Sri Lanka.

Wijayananda Rupasinghe, Deepthi Kumara Gunaratne, Sunil Wijesiriwardena, Lal Hegoda, M D Mahindapala, Sunila Abeysekara, Boopathy Nalin Wickramage, Priyan Wijebandara and Amila Galappty have contributed to the first issue. Articles vary from international cinema to young short filmmakers in Sri Lanka. The international festival report is on Berlin Film Festival 2011 and imprisoned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi.

Sri Lankan Filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage expresses his views on the role of the censors and past, present and future of Sri Lankan cinema. Boodie Keerthisena talks about David Lynch who influenced him. Film review is on Asoka Handagama's film Vidu.

Translations useful for students who are learning cinema and other arts are included in the journal. 14 attempts to develop a glossary of Sinhala terms use in cinema and other arts as well.

14 is an Agenda 14 publication edited by Anoma Rajakaruna. Anoma, the first Sri Lankan woman to edit a film journal edited Chithrapata a quarterly film Journal of National Film corporation (2005-2006). She is a documentary filmmaker and a photographer who has won several international awards and has also served as a juror at several international film festivals in Asia, Africa and Europe during the last 15 years.