France confers National Honours on Lankan

French ambassador to Sri Lanka Christine Robichon will confer on Anomaa Rajakaruna the title of ‘Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du M‚rite (Knight in the French National Order of Merit) (The National Order of Merit) tomorrow on behalf of the French government.

The French National Order of Merit was created by General de Gaulle in 1963.

Its aim is to reward distinguished service demonstrated in either a public, civilian or military function, or in the exercise of a private activity, during a period of at least 10 years.

The National Order of Merit seeks to reward services to France which includes services by foreigners to French interests and French values, inside and outside France.

Rajakaruna is a photographer, filmmaker and writer who has travelled extensively in South Asia documenting the lives of community groups and in particular the lives of women and children in these communities.

She is well known for her ‘rights based’ approach in photography, film making and writing.

Rajakaruna has her work exhibited in South Asia, Europe and USA and won several international awards for her films and photography.

A long time member of International Association of Women in Radio & Television (IAWRT), she serves as the Secretary of South Asia Free Media Association, Sri Lanka Chapter.

Rajakaruna joined Studio Bonsoir as the Chief Editor in 2004 and was responsible for restructuring the Bonsoir weekly TV programme for Channel Eye, SLRC produced by the embassy of France in partnership with Canal France International.

Under her supervision, Bonsoir became the second mostly watched programme on the channel and several programmes reached out to audiences not only in Sri Lanka but in South East Asia as well.

She initiated training programmes for young filmmakers at Studio Bonsoir and organised a Short Film Festival to mark the 25th anniversary of Bonsoir.

In 2005, on behalf of the National Film Corporation and the embassy of France, she coordinated the first ever Sri Lankan Day in Cannes Film Festival in France.

Rajakaruna served as a juror at several International Film Festivals and curates European Film Festival in Colombo.

She is the Founder of Agenda 14 Short Film Festival and the Chief Editor of 14-A space for Expression Cinema Journal.

A past student of Panadura Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Film &Television Training Institute of Pune and CENDIT- New Delhi, she holds a MA from University of Kelaniya and reading for a MPhil while engaging in a research on women and war in Sri Lanka.