Film-maker duo's shining moment

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

*Diamond jubilee of cinema doyen clinching international award

*Golden jubilee of a film-poetess’ entry

Passing through several milestones in life, the globally renowned ace film-making couple of Sri Lankan cinema approached yet another significant landmark in their career. He was the traveller who pioneered the process of carving out the line of destiny of local cinema while she was his companion who moulded memorable projects to nurture the field. Together they are an incomparable duo. Years may flow by but it is doubtful if there will ever be two other personalities to match the ace filmmakers.

Double celebration

Amalshan Gunerathne

Seasoned film-makers Lester James Peries and Sumihtra Peries’ foundation ‘Lester James Peries and Sumitra Peries Foundation’ which is being incorporated by an Act of Parliament plans to work towards the establishment of a national cinema archive in Sri Lanka. They hope to bring necessary plans to preserve the reels from the golden days of Sri Lankan cinema.

The foundation also hopes to focus on promoting children’s cinema in the country. The event was organized to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee of Dr Peries winning his first ever international award. Sixty years have passed, since Britain awarded him The Mini Cinema Challenge Cup.

The event also coincided with the golden jubilee of Sumitra Peries’s entry to cinema. Her cinematic journey began half a century ago, when she joined the set of Sandeshaya as an assistant director to Dr Peries.

The ceremony was launched in grand fashion, amidst distinguished dignitaries. Veteran Indian film maker Padma Vibushan Dr Adoor Gopalkrishnan graced the event as the Chief Guest.

Speaking at the function he noted, “It was in 1965 ‘Golden Peacock film festival’ that I first came across Lester’s films. I have not seen Sri Lankan films before. When I saw his film Gamperaliya at the festival, I thought this film should win the award and it did. From that day onwards, I became a great fan of Lester.” The foundation website, ‘www.lijspfoundation.org’ was also launched during the ceremony. The inaugural ‘Lester James Peries Oration’ was done by Prof Wimal Dissanayake on the ‘Sinhala cinema and the Social Imaginary: The work of Lester James Peries’.

Reflecting on Soliloquy, the short film which won him his first international award, the Mini Cinema Cup for displaying the best technical proficiency in 1949, Dr Lester James Peries said that the inspiration came from a figure that he had his brother had encountered in their daily life.

“He was a person who visited us often and a heavy drinker. He was very chatty when he took to the bottle. We had nicknamed him ‘Soliloquy’,” he chuckled as he evoked memories of how he and his artist brother, Ivan, had tried their luck at the amateur film clubs which were scattered around England.

The award was presented by the Institute of Amateur and Experimental Film Makers Festival, Great Britain. His experimental film Farewell to Childhood bagged the Amateur Cine World Silver Plaque in 1950, making it to the ten best films of the year list. On returning to Sri Lanka he nurtured the cinema with 20 explicit creations starting with Rekhava (Line of Destiny) and the last being Amma Warune (An Elegy for a Mother).

Expressing his ideas on the filmmakers of today Dr Peries said that he finds them immensely talented and dealing with topics which they had not touched upon during their time. However some projects are low budget and done with lack of commitment.

Today, in his 92nd year, the iconic film director spends the greater part of his time amid books and chatting with his life companion, Sumitra Peries. The duo’s marriage could be described as a coming together of a dimension of two masterminds.

“I have been a partner and professional counterpart. It is a demanding role to play. Women directors were scarce when I entered the scene. There were advantages as well as disadvantages. I had to earn my respect among the crowd. It was not an entirely rosy journey,” she reflected on her five decade film career.

She said that she was conscious about the subjects that she chose because she did not want to deliver the audience with mindless entertainment. This she did with her debut movie Gehenu Lamai (The Girls) in which she introduced gifted actress Vasanthi Chathurani to cinema. The nostalgic, thought-provoking experience catapulted her to success. The movie was also selected ti be presented at the London Film festival in 1978.

Ganga Addara, Yahalu Yeheli, Maya, Loku Duwa, Sagara Jalaya, Duwata Mawaka Misa and Yahaluwo followed. She had captured nine creations on celluloid. Most of her works were female oriented where she dealt with the predicaments of women at work places and households. “Looking back now I wish I could have made more movies but we had to deal with financial issues.

She spells the formula of her success as keeping herself busy, alert and committed to her work. Out of all her work which satisfied her most?

“I believe that Sagara Jalaya embodies a more mature wider canvas than the other films. It was based on the chena cultivation community and was also a great learning process for me. I also got to work with Swarna Mallawarachchi,” she explained.

A biography titled Sumitra, penned by Ajith Galappaththi, was released this year. A book on some of the most prominent women who changed the course of history will also be launched.

Vilasnee Tampoe had penned a textured biography of the social milieu and the cinema industry. Sumitra’s influence on the industry had also been included in the work which will be launched in a couple of month’s time. She is working on a project with Tony Ranasinghe and hopes to bring the details of the film to light soon. “The creation will differ thematically. We are dealing with features like myths and puppets. This will also be a learning process for me as I will be dealing with some of the latest technological aspects,” she said.