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15th April 2001
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Kala Korner By Dee Cee

Well- deserved recognition

Titus Totawatte and Willie Blake are among the pioneers who helped put Sinhala cinema on the right track. They were in Dr. Lester James Peries' team who made Rekava, a landmark in the history of local cinema. Both of them were recognised at this year's Presidential Film Awards with 'Golden Lion' lifetime awards being given in recognition of their contribution to cinema. 

Willie Blake came all the way from Canada, where he is now domiciled, to be personally present at the awards ceremony. Titus, though not as active as he was a few years ago, has been concentrating more on the small screen and has contributed immensely particularly in the field of dubbing quality foreign features into Sinhala. 

Leaving the Government Film Unit in the early fifties with Lester James Peries, Titus was responsible for editing 'Rekava'. He was involved in a number of quality films of the early era - 'Sandesaya', 'Ran Muthu Duwa', 'Getawarayo' and 'Parasathu Mal'. 

He then turned to direction and his first film, 'Chandiya' was a new experience for filmgoers. He also directed two other quality films, 'Haralakshaya' (based on the famous Turf Club robbery) and 'Maruwa Samage Waase' (the story of the notorious criminal Maru Sira). 

He is, of course, best remembered for the first Sinhala children's film, 'Handaya' which won international acclaim too. 

At a time when filmgoers were accustomed to Sinhala films done inside South Indian film studios, Willie Blake took his camera out of the studio and filmed 'Rekawa' totally on location. For the first time local filmgoers had authentic footage they could identify with. 

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