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Asoka's
film begins to fly
Made
around a novel theme, "Thani Thatuwen Piyabanna" was regarded
as the most revolutionary South Asian film when it was screened
at the London International Film Festival last year. It also represented
Lanka at a number of foreign festivals including San Sebastian International
Film Festival (IFF) in Spain, Nantes IFF, France International Film
Festival of Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Singapore International
Film Festival among many other festivals. Among other
major international film festivals "Flying with one wing"
is an entry at this year's Festival due film Asiatique de Deauville
(France) and Paris and Raindance Film Festival- London in March
and Jeonju IFF (Korea) in April, Sydney Film Festival (Australia)in
June and Calgary IFF (Germany) in October. Set in Southern
Sri Lanka where a transvestite works as a mechanic and is married
to another woman. After being involved in an accident, she has a
medical examination and the doctor discovers her secret. When the
doctor discovers it he decides to keep quiet about the secret with
the hope of blackmailing her. Seeing the girl going frequently to
the doctor's clinic a gay colleague at the garage thinks a homosexual
relationship has sprung up between the two and begins to court the
girl (who he thinks is a man). Thus the woman now faces a dilemma.
When the doctor tells the garage owner the truth, things take a
turn for the worse... The main roles
are played by Anoma Jinadari, Mahendra Perera, W. Jayasiri, Gayani
Liyanarachchi, Wilson Gunaratne and Jagath Chamila. The talented
film maker, Handagama's earlier film 'Me Mage Sanday' represented
Lanka at over ten international film festivals and was selected
for the experimental section at the London Film Festival. It won
the award for the Best film at the 'Joungu' International Film Festival
in Korea and Bronze Remi award for the Best Feature film at the
Houston International Film Festival. His first film,
"Chanda Kinnarie" (Moon Lady) won several awards including
awards for Most Promising Director in 1994 and the OCIC award and
for Best film, Best Director and Best screenplay. Handagama's latest 'Thani Thatuwen Piyabanna' is the first film produced by Upul Shantha Sannasgala . Sriyani's
'Holman Boattuwa' starts a smooth sail The out door
shooting of this mini film based on an adventurous story has been
done in and around Galle including the Galle Harbour. Some of the
indoor filming was done with the Governor's House in Galle as the
backdrop.
The story deals
with two families who had gone on an excursion and the incidents
which are terrifying. The cast in
'Hollman Boattuwa' includes Cletus Mendis, Janaka Kumbukage, Rebecca
Nirmalee, Gamini Hettiarachchi, Sujani Menaka, Nirdha Uyanhewa,
Asela Jayakody in addition to three child actors Chamitha Perera,
Chamith de Alwis and Kasun Vithanachchi playing roles here. Dr. Erik Damunupola
lives with his wife Niranjala and two children Kolitha and Ravindra.
Bennette Weerasekara, his wife, Sujatha, daughter Sonali and son
Mahesh are friends of Damunupola's. Rohan, a relative
of Damunupola family comes to know Weerasekera family through the
relatives. Rohan also owns a boat and one day he invites the two
families for a boating trip. Living in a hotel there is many a secret
behind Rohan and he is engaged in a number of illegal activities.
Pretending to be a millionaire businessman Rohan is involved in
gem smuggling and drug trafficking. He also has under world connections.
Joining with underworld characters he makes a plan to break up a
jewellery shop and sell the gems stolen to a foreign boat and get
heroin in turn. The exchange is planned in the deep sea. Arrangement
of the boating trip was to avoid any suspicion falling on him. Except Kolitha
and Sonali everybody else believes Rohan and prepares for the journey.
Headstrong Mrs. Damunupola does not like Sonali's connection with
her son Kolitha. Meanwhile Mrs. Weerasekara plans to propose her
daughter, Sonali to Rohan and Sonali refuses to join the trip. Due
to this begins a misunderstanding between the two families. However
with much heartburn the journey begins. The trip lasts only for
a very short time. In mid sea the boat is caught in a storm. It
also develops engine trouble. Meanwhile the
two families find that there are others too in their boat. Two underworld
friends of Rohan also had secretly been hidden in the boat. The food stock
in the boat is running out and reaching safely becomes dim. Screen play
is written by Tilak Kudahetti and art director is U. K. Mahinda. Camera is handled by Saman Segera. Production is by Sisil Vithanachchi which the direction is by Sriyani Amerasena. 'Sasaraka
Ima' portrays the plight of a family
Dayapala,
the eldest son of Wickremasinghe family heads the household of two
sisters and a brother after the death of their father, Amaradasa.
Muditha is the eldest girl and Ruwani is the younger while playful
Ranjan is the youngest. Dayapala detests his mother Hemalatha whom
he thinks had eloped with his father's accountant while his father
was alive. This was a
misconception given by Amaradasa to his children before his death.
The real story is that Amaradasa sends away his wife following a
false story woven up by one of his business opponents to stay that
Hemalatha was having an illegal affair with Samaraweera an accountant
widower. However when
Hemalatha was separated from the family she had none other for help
except Samaraweera. Caught up with
this misunderstanding, Dayapala forbids others to have any dealings
with their mother. Dayapala's
girl friend is Nandani who anxiously waits for him to discharge
the responsibilities by his family. All the proposals brought for
Muditha becomes unsuccessful and this was due to the confusion over
their mother's separation from the family. Worried about
brother Dayapala, Muditha finally runs away with a man who is much
older to him. Meanwhile Dayapala's
uncle, the head monk in the village temple has an idea to ordain
his youngest nephew Ranjan. But mischievous Ranjan has already found
a girl friend and he is dreaming of marriage. In order to
learn business tactics he joins a foreign employment agency owned
by, Gunasekara. Ranjan plans to start his own business in the same
filed but Gunasekara is against this. Once Gunasekara
traps Ranjan in a business deal he ends up being bankrupt. Thus
Ranjan hides in his uncle's temple in order to get away from his
creditors. Dayapala tries to rescue his brother by selling the ancestral
property. Living in the temple Ranjan's outlook on life changes.
Meanwhile Ruwani
the youngest sister of Dayapala runs away with a soldier. And Nandani's
brother, to whom Ranjan owns money now, objects to her sister's
affair with Dayapala. Hemalatha who
mourns over the plight of her children accuses Dayapala of separating
her from the other children. What would
be the end of Amaradasa family? The stellar
cast has Sriyantha Mendis, Janaka Kumbukge, Ananda Wickremage, Maureen
Charuni, Srinath Maddumage, Nalin Pradeep Uduwela, Ruhani Weerasinghe
and Nisansala Jayathunge. Produced by Sampath Palitha de Sarasm 'Sasaraka Ima' is directed by G. Nandasena. |
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