Karma comes in all guises

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

His philosophy is strongly rooted in his upbringing. A promising young director among the cluster of new entrants to cinema, he managed to raise the bar with his maiden film ‘Sankara’ (Introspection). The movie won The Special Jury Prize, The Silver Pyramid, at the Cairo International Film Festival, 2006 and the Best Debut Director Award at the International Film Festival of Kerala, 2006.

“The stories behind our life are not as rosy as our outward appearances. We are in a constant emotional struggle with the mind. The main reason why and animals or plants exist is to produce its own kind. This is the basis behind most of our problems,” explained award winning filmmaker Prasanna Jayakody on the philosophy behind his creations.

His second movie, ‘Karma’ had been screened at the Pusan International Film Festival, South Korea, Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Brazil, Chicago International Film Festival, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Australia, Rotterdam International Film Festival, Bildrausch International Film Festival, Switzerland, Isolacinema International Film Festival, Slovenia and Marrakech International Film Festival, Morocco.

The movie stars three main characters: Piyal, Amanda and Nadee. They are portrayed by Michell Herft, Jagath Manuwarna and Nadeeka Guruge. The Executive producer is Rasitha Jinasena. It is produced by Ceylon Theater Private Limited, Sky Entertainers Private Limited and Magic Lantern Private Limited. ‘Karma’ will be screening at the CEL circuit cinemas from October 12.

Q: Your maiden movie won many international accolades. Weren’t you pressurized to make an equally good creation or better film in your second attempt?

A:I did not set the bar high consciously when I embarked on making ‘Sankara’. I did not even imagine that the movie will be screened at international film festivals let alone win awards. However I believe that those experiences nurtured my second movie.

‘Sankara’ is a product of many years of effort in trying to make a movie. ‘Karma’ endured a similar struggle. I did not aim higher with this movie. It is a matter of maintaining the standards I set in ‘Sankara’.

Q: Buddhist ethos plays a vital role in your creations. Even the name of your productions like ‘Nisala Vila’, ‘Imadiya Mankada’, ‘Sasara Bhoomika’, ‘Hadawila Sakmana’ etc suggest that.

A: There is Buddhist philosophy embedded in my work but they cannot be called Buddhist films or Buddhist teledramas. These theories are fragments of the Hindu and Jain religion as well. Buddhism gives a broader picture of these concepts.

Karma is a universal theory and my story flows according to a common belief related to the Asian continent. We link matters in life with these ideals. I let the audience decide on the fate of circumstances rather than portray it in a religious point of view.

Q: Why have you divided ‘Karma’ into four chapters as Graze, Breath, Melt and Catharsis?

A: If I had let the incidents flow aimlessly in the story, the audience would have merely enjoyed the movie. What I have shown in the film is nothing exceptional. They are mostly incidents linked with our everyday existence.

A filmmaker needs to give and take from the audience. I categorized the film for this purpose. The first chapter – Graze – shows the life of a young man who peers over a partition, seeking to cling onto another living being to fill the void left by his mother.

There are a lot of noises in the background and we need to think along those lines and decide on his mindset. Breath suggests the lost hopes taking place on the other side of the partition. Melt is the discovery of personal space between the young man and the woman on either side of the building. All three of these chapters take place in the same time frame. Catharsis deals with three people try to solve matters after seeking themselves in others’ lives.

Q: How did you choose your actors?

A: These characters share universal experiences. Therefore anyone should be able to relate to them. I did not want to choose a popular actress to play Amanda’s role because they would look at the character through the angle that they are already used to in assessing the actress.

Michell and Jagath are experienced stage actors. However Nadeeka is not an actor but a professional music director. I needed someone who has knowledge of music to portray Nadee’s role as well as fit into the character’s background since I am not a professional musician.

I can insert certain aspects into Michell’s act but I cannot change some of her habitual traits. Though we try to dress the person in a new garment, it may look odd to the viewers. We need to find a suitable person for the attire.

Piyal is a youth who struggles to make a living by acting in stage plays. Jagath shares this common history with him. Similarly Nadeeka and Michell too have upbringings similar to their characters.

Q: You use a lot of symbolism more than dialog.

A: It is a subconscious act and depends on my theme. You cannot project the whole picture using words. You cannot calculate a person fully by what he or she utters. The environment that the person lives in, his or her reactions to sounds, the lighting conditions and even the rhythm of a person’s breathing unearths layers of his or her personality.

Sometimes these images are complicated but the audience has perceived something of it.

Q: You belong to the generation of filmmakers which include Vimukthi Jayasundara and Asoka Handagama. Yet your approach has not led to controversy.

A: Some people questioned why I did not portray the nude figure of the girl instead of her bathing figure in ‘Sankara’ and accused me of hiding that fact. I reject this accusation. If I had shown the girl’s nudity then the audience would have moved away from questioning the incidents and would have been lost in the monk’s passion.

Similarly I uncovered Amanda’s breast at the appropriate moment. We have been associated with the women’s breast from childhood and it is something which we like since we were all nurtured by our mother’s milk. I wanted to injure that bond.

Vimukthi and Handagama deal with radical themes in their films. They need to insert such incidents to the production to drive home their message.

Q: How has working on ‘Seveneli Saha Minissu’ (Shadows and Men) helped you in your creative process?

A: That was the building block in my career. It was the only medium open for me to express myself during that era.

I was feeling empty during that phase of my life because I have lost a lot of things. Those experiences set the pace for my productions. My vision has sprung and continued from those roots and I was able to make a name for myself in the field through that.

Sharanya and Stephan for Iranian Children’s Film Festival

Child actors Sharanya Jayakody and Stephan Ferdinand will represent the Sri Lankan jury members at the Farabi International Children’s Film Festival to be held in Tehran, Iran, from October 4 to 15.

Sharanya, the daughter of singing duo Edward Jayakody and Charitha Priyadharshani, played one of the leading child’s roles in Somaratne Dissanayake’s ‘Siri Raja Siri’. She had also acted in Udayakantha Warnasuriya’s ‘Hiripoda Vessa’, Nalan Mendis’ teledrama ‘Sooriya Daruwo’ and ‘Isuru Sangramaya’.

Nithyavani Kandasamy, Pramudi Karunarathne, Sarala Kariyawasam, Tharaka Hettiarachchi and Sandali Walikanna have represented Sri Lanka in the past Iranian Children’s Film Festivals.

RJ

Films for International Children’s Day

The National Film Corporation (NFC) will be organizing a series of events to celebrate International Children’s Day today.

Schoolchildren whose schools are close to film halls will be given the opportunity to view a children’s film free of charge on October 1 at 8 am. Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa , Northern Province Governor G A Chandrasiri, Provincial Ministers, the Zonal Education Director, School Principals, army officers in the northern province, theatre owners, film directors and producers have backed this project.

Entertainment programmes will also be conducted to go parallel with the Dayata Kirula Educational Exhibition 2012 held in Anuradhapura. A school cinema essay competition was also conducted at schools in Anuradhapura.

The winners: R M Sashikala Hansamali Ratnayake, Baghya Madhuvanthi Karunaratne, Preethimali Premaratne, U H Bashinika Sathsarani de Silva, H M Pubudu Madhusanka Herath, S Navodhya Dilhani and A M Tharaka Samanali will be handed prizes and certificates by NFC Chairman Asoka Serasinghe at the Corporation on October 1 at 2 pm.