Music, songs and moving images

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne will be Chief Guest at the third annual ‘Lester James Peries Oration’ which will be held at 5 pm on June 15 at the Committee Room ‘B’ of the BMICH. Guest of Honour on the occasion will be Ambassador for France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives Christine Robichon. This event is open to the public.

Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne will speak on ‘Songs of Lester-Sumitra Cinema’ while Lakshman Joseph de Saram will speak on ‘Music and the Moving Image’.

Senior professor of the Sinhala Language, Mass Media and Communication Faculty of the Sri Jayewardenepura University, Prof. Ariyaratne is also an acclaimed film director, lyricist, poet, and, an indefatigable researcher into the less familiar aspects of Sinhala literature and culture for which he has also won State Literature awards.

Prof Ariyaratne shot to fame as a director with his second film ‘Sarungale’ (1979) and has, in a film career spanning 34 years, directed 19 films, many of which have been highly acclaimed and award-winning. He was responsible for the dialogues of the Dr. Peiris’s (1976) film ‘Madol Duwa’

In the absence of a national cinema archives, in 2011, Prof Ariyaratne published a rare collection of stills (200 in all) from all of Dr Peries’ films (18 in all) with great archival value in the best interest of future generations.

Twice recipient of the Signis International award for outstanding original score for a feature film (‘05 and ‘08), Lakshman Joseph de Saram is a professional classical musician and film composer based in Sri Lanka. Schooled in New York City as a classical violinist, and a veteran of over 800 concerts, he is however best known as the composer who defined the “Nouvelle Vague” sound of South Asian art-house cinema the ground breaking scores to many international award-winning films.

His recently concluded original score for the StudioCanal/Magnolia Pictures star-studded film, “Bel Ami” (2012), makes him one of a few Asian born creative heads operating on that elite platform. He is also the Artistic Director of one of Sri Lanka’s most critically acclaimed arts organisations, the Chamber Music Society of Colombo.

Revered as one of the Asian greats, Lester James Peries has won continuous international acclaim in several parts of the world. With 50 productive years, 20 full length feature films, tele-serials, countless retrospectives around the world, bouquets and brickbats, national and international honours, Peries takes it all in his stride ….. they all rest on his slight frame …… with ease.

The accolades poured in, ever since Sumitra Peries’ directorial debut ‘Gehenu Lamai’ stormed the cinematic world in 1978, winning rave reviews and great international acclaim. Renowned as a film maker with a keen aesthetic sensibility and sensitivity which portray the feminine condition, Sumitra holds a world record in cinema even to this day as being the world’s most senior woman film director still in active film making. She is currently working on her latest film ‘Vaishnavee’ (Divine Messanger), based on a story by Dr. Peries.

The ‘Lester James Peries and Sumitra Peries Foundation’ is an Approved Charity and is incorporated by an Act of Parliament. Its Trustees are Dr Peries, Sumitra Peries, Gayathri Mustachi, Yadamini Gunawardena and Kumar de Silva. Sameera Manabarana Randeniya, Yashodha Wimaladharma, Yasoja Gunawardena and Nuran Gomez make up the board of directors. Commercial Credit PLC is the Platinum Sponsor of the Foundation’s activities during 2013/14.

Mighty Mouse

Channa Bandara Wijekoon

Thisal Moragoda, seventh grade student of Trinity College bagged the ‘best actor’s award at the recently concluded SAARC Film Festival, held in Colombo.

Seven SAARC countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka took part in the event. The film festival showcased some of the best feature and documentary films made in the region from 2010 to 2012.

Thisal has been recognized as the Best Actor in South Asia, while Pakistani actress Aamina Sheikh has received the Best Actress award. ‘Gamani’ and ‘Mouse’ represented Sri Lanka at the event. Thisal won the award for his performance in ‘Mouse’ directed by his father Wasantha Moragoda.

‘Mouse’ too has secured third place at the festival in the ‘feature film’ category by clinching the bronze medal. The first and second places in this category have been won by Indian and Pakistan productions. The panel of judges comprised film experts from Iran, Pakistan and Singapore.

Speaking to Daily News ‘Projector’ Thisal expressed his gratitude towards his father for the guidance he provided in the making of ‘Mouse’.

“Father explained everything to me prior to shooting. Therefore I knew how to react to the incidents. Aunty Kaushalya and aunty Jayani supported me on the sets. Roshan Ravindra uncle helped me too”, said an enthusiastic Thisal.

“I had to dance in the rain in one scene. Rain was made artificially and I ended up developping a severe cold. My father suggested that we postpone shooting but I insisted that shooting should continue. My mother was with me throughout the process,” he added.

‘Mouse’ has been young Thisal’s first ever movie. He has watched teledramas being shot prior to this experience.

“The shooting locations were mainly slums and schools. Though I have never acted before, the ‘fear’ factor did not bother me,” said Thisal. Acting was probably in his genes since veteran actor Siril Wickramage is related to the lad from his mother’s side.

A studious boy, Thisal is also passionate about dancing and singing. He enjoys reading and playing football with his little brother at the Peradeniya Campus grounds under the care of his grandmother and grandfather.

Thisal also fancies watching educational programmes on TV, let alone cartoon and comedy films. Rowan Atkinson is his favourite actor. He is a keen follower of the ‘Incredible Hulk’ series of the Marvel comics’ fame.

Being an ardent rugby fan, Thisal is in high spirits after watching the first-leg of the ‘Bradby-Shield’ match played in Kandy. He says, Trinity College played exceptionally well in the second half to be in the forefront. Thisal’s little brother has played in the under 12 category. Prior to Trinity Thisal has studied at the Vidura College, Nawala. He has acted in ‘Mouse’ during the August holidays, while in Vidura College. Adeesha Hettiarachchi who acts opposite Thisal in ‘Mouse’ is his friend from Vidura College. It is a pity that more light has not been shed on the award won by Thisal. We have a resourceful budding artiste in the making. His rare talents have been already identified in an international context. The award he brought home speaks for itself.

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Lawrence to turn producer

Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has found her newest cinematic adventure. The critically acclaimed actress will star in the upcoming drama The Rules of Inheritance .

The movie is based on Claire Bidwell Smith’s memoir about a young woman who loses her parents to cancer, but then finds herself in the process. The full description reads, “While struggling to cope, she propels herself into many romances, adventures and travels in an inspirational, emotionally charged and surprisingly humorous journey that celebrates life, the people we love and lose and the discoveries we make along the way.”

Directing the film is Susanne Bier who just helmed Serena with Lawrence and her Silver Linings Playbook co-star Bradley Cooper. The Hunger Games star is also set to produce the film alongside Silver Linings Playbook ’s Bruce Cohen while FilmNation Entertainment will executive produce.

FilmNation’s Glen Basner and Aaron Ryder said, “We are thrilled to be working with the dream team of Jennifer Lawrence, Susanne Bier, Abi Morgan and Bruce Cohen. We have no doubt that this inspirational and hopeful book will be turned into an emotionally powerful movie that audiences around the world will fall in love with.”

Deadline

Kamasutra 3D breaks records in Cannes

Kamasutra 3D has broken all records when it came to the pre-sale rights of the movie at Cannes.

The movie launched its second exclusive trailer and the special edition book of Kamasutra which received accolades from the international delegates. But the pre-sale of the international rights for the movie took by storm at the Cannes platform.

The sales head of Kamasutra 3D , Mitesh Patel, said, “We expected a good number of response but this over-whelming response was unexpected. We are happy that Kamasutra 3D has already gained quite a popularity by now and we wish to keep this up post its release”. It is for the first time that an Indian film has received such a huge response with sales of its international rights that too before it is being released.

Indiaglitz.com
 

Jiah’s demise shocks B-town

Beautiful, young, talented, charming, simple and no more. Bollywood actress Jiah Khan was found dead in her Mumbai Juhu residence. She had allegedly committed suicide on June 5.

The 25-year-old made a dream debut opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Varma’s Nishabd in 2007. She then appeared alongside Aamir Khan in Ghajini (2008) and later in a supporting role in Sajid Khan’s Housefull (2010), which was her last film.Though she has been undergoing personal trauma, she has been making plans to return to acting.

Earlier also, B-town witnessed some shocking tragedies including the death of young and vivacious Divya Bharti at the age of 19 in 1993, after she allegedly fell off the fifth floor of a building.

Mystery still shrouds her death and it remains unclear whether she was pushed to death or she was inebriated and lost her balance.

One of the most glamorous starlets of her time, Parveen Babi, died a lonely death in 2005 at her flat in Mumbai.

Her death came to light only after her residential society secretary alerted the police that she had not picked up milk and newspapers from her doorstep for three days. In her case also, it was not clear whether she committed suicide or died a natural death.

The death of filmmaker Manmohan Desai, who made iconic films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Coolie, Parvarish and others, was received with shock after he fell off his building at Grant Road in Mumbai in 1994. The real cause of his death is still a mystery.

Yesteryear filmmaker Guru Dutt was found dead after an overdose of alcohol and sleeping pills in 1964. It was reportedly Dutt’s third attempt at suicide. Whether it was an accident or suicide is still a matter of debate.

Southern actress Vijayalakshmi, popularly known as Silk Smitha, committed suicide by consuming poison in 1996.

Smitha was trying to change her destiny by turning producer after a successful stint in front of the camera by acting in over 450 films for 17 years. Things did not fall in place for her and she took the drastic step. Failed romance, depression and alcoholism were the other reasons cited for her premature death.

Actor Kunal Singh of Dil Hi Dil Mein fame was found hanging at his Mumbai apartment in 2008. His father had alleged that Kunal had been murdered and it was not a suicide.