‘Common Differences’, screened to provide a balanced insight

Suraj A Bandara

The screening of the documentary film” Common Difference” directed by Video Image (Pvt) Ltd to provide a balanced insight to the ethnic conflict in Sri lanka was held at the Lakshman Kadiragamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies yesterday with the participation of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Here the Defence Secretary participating in a discussion following the screening. Picture by Sudath Nishantha

“Common Differences”, a documentary film directed by Video Image (Pvt) Ltd, was screened to provide a balanced insight to the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict in the presence of Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, tri forces commanders and senior military officials, local and foreign intellectuals and journalists at the Lakshman Kadiragamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies yesterday.

The video documentary explores the reasons for and the development of the conflict in Sri Lanka through a wide range of discussions and interviews with prominent and well-known stakeholders representing political, academic, media and NGOs.

These include Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joshep, Defence Secretary Goatabhaya Rajapaksa, Journalists - Iqbal Athas and C. A. Chandraprema, NGO activists Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Jeewan Thiagarajah, academics - Dayan Athukoralage, Imaran Furkan, Jehan Perera, Javed Yusuf, Stanley Samarasinghe, politicians - Rajiva Wijesinghe, Vinayagamoorhy Muralidaran and Eran Wickramarathna.

The film also opens up the question as to where and how Sri Lanka should proceed.

The production team, Suren De Silva and Daniel Ridicku of the Video Image (Pvt) Ltd, refrains from commentaries while the film runs through interviews and videos.