First Sinhala Film in France

‘Wekanda Walauwa’ (Mansion By the Lake)directed by Dr. Lester James Peiris was hailed by French film critics as “another masterpiece.. remarkable.. pure and luminous” (La Monde, May 23 2003).

The film marks the return of the acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker, Lester James Peiris after an absence of nearly two decades, who was honoured this year along with Clint Eastwood at the Cannes Film Festival and awarded the Fellini Gold Medal Award for ‘Wekanda Walauwa’ and his achievements in Cinema.

‘Wekanda Walauwa’ was honoured last week at the 57th Edinburgh International Film Festival (the oldest Film Festival in the world) by being showcased, for “the ground breaking new work from the world’s most important filmmakers”.

Chandran Rutnam, the producer who just returned from the Festival says that he has never read such overwhelming critical reviews quoted one review from Edinburgh.

“From veteran director Lester James Pieris comes this elegant transpositon.. classically shot and delicately scored, a work of serene beauty and extraordinary humanity.. a gentle ode to the passing of time and the importance of home”.

‘Wekanda Walauwa’, with French subtitles opened in four (4) cinemas simultaneously in Paris last week. The highly acclaimed and honoured director Lester James Pieris and the award winning producers Chandran Rutnam and Asoka Perera, must be credited for producing a film that has the distinction of being the first Sinhala film to have a general release in France.

‘Wekanda Walauwa’ has been invited to the prestigious New York International Film Festival and the International Film Festival of India in coming months.
“We have a genuine genius in the art of simple story telling that subtly gets to the core of family and social issues in our country” says Chandran Rutnam.

“Lester is truly a national treasure who has brought our country (Sri Lanka) to the finishing line of the cinema art, with thunderous applause and recognition. He must be honoured and placed on the highest pedestal of the arts.”

With the marvellous reviews coming from the world press, ‘Wekanda Walauwa’, may just be the film that could gain an Oscar nomination in the Foreign Film category at the Academy Awards in Hollywood next year.

The film is distributed by Ocean Films in France, Germany, Austria and Italy.
‘Wekanda Walauwa’ stars Malini Fonseka, Vasanthi Chaturani, Paboda Sandeepani, Ravindra Randeniya, Irangani Serasinghe, Sanath Gunetilleka, Lucky Dias and Senaka Wijesinghe.