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Festival of French Speaking Countries This is the very first time that a festival of this nature being organised in Sri Lanka and it has named ‘Film Festival of French Speaking Countries’ The film festival consist of three films from France and one each from the rest of the French Speaking countries. These countries have joined the festival encouraged by the enthusiastic Sri Lankan audience’s response to annual French-Sri Lankan Film Festivals in 2002 and 2003 organised by French Embassy with National Film Corporation. All the films presented relate to human relationships; youth unrest and to the futility of war. The film ‘Sachs’ disease’ (La maladie de Sachs) of France-1999) is directed by Michel Deville recounts the daily life of a country doctor confronted with the suffering, anxiety and violence of human relationships and with everything that makes people ill. ‘Tanguy’ France (2001) directed by Etienne Chatiliez revolves around a parent-children relationship- this tells of a couple who feared that their child may leave them and how they can’t wait to get rid of him. ‘The Room of the officers’ (La chamber des officers) (2002) directed by Francaois Dupeyron portrays First World War, a young lieutenant, Adrian who is badly injured in a shell explosion causing a facial disfiguration who later finds life bearable. The film ‘Hop’ is Belgium movie (2002) directed by Dominique Standaert represents a relationship between father and a child and ‘Burning in the wind’ (La brulure du vent) (2002) - Switzerland directed Silvio Soldini relates complex life story of Tobias Horvath who spent his childhood in misery. ‘Ice cream, chocolate and other Consolations’ (Crème glacee, chocolat at autres consolations) (Canada)-2001 directed by Julie Hivon represents the life’s changes from simple to complication in four characters Samuel who was sleeping with Ambre and Suzie who has a cat and Judith who was shopping around for a new religion. Sri
Lankan Films ‘Wekande Walawwa’ based on Anton Chekov’s ‘Cherry Orchard’, set in Sri Lanka in the late 1980’s revolves around a traditional upper class family in which three women desperately holding onto a past against the changes of time was selected for a special screening at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2003, where the director became one of the two recipients of the first UNESCO sponsored ‘Frederico Fellini Memorial Medal’ Award. ‘Me Mage Sandai’ was the official selection for the Festival des Trois Continents-Nantes, France-2001 and Festival d’ Automne- Paris-2001. It narrates the tale of a soldier who is a army deserter and of a young Tamil girl who once fell into his bunker. The film discusses poignant and touching uncertainty, absurdity brought about by the war and its unrelenting demands on the country’s poorest people existing in a boarder village. The two short films by Vimukthi Jayasundara, a young Sri Lankan film director- ‘The Land of Silence’(Vide Pour L’amour) - a 30 minutes documentary in black and white and Empty for Love, a 28 minutes colour narrative film relates the consequences of war on mankind. ‘The Land of Silence’ describes the victims of the ethnic war in Sri Lanka. This gives an emotional insight into the wounds received by man due to civil war. Made with the cinematographic equipment from the sixties and interspersed with occasional dialogues relayed by a background commentary, it refuses to intensify horror by making it appear close at hand and denounces the alliance between technological virtuosity and fascination with war. The film became the official selection for the 13th documentary Film Festival of Marseille. ‘Empty for love’ unravels the result of a ceasefire agreement reached between the LTTE and the government. In a situation of no-war-no-peace quagmire, public life is aimlessly dragged on in a long insecure presence. Throughout the film, a certain rhythm is developed to create a relationship and a conflict among these people living without a purpose. On the other hand, the curiosity generated from this is transformed into a fiction, while all of them are looking forward to a change in their lives in breaking the monotony. Vimukthi has received the “Silver Scales: award for the best director at the Novo mesto International short Film festival Slovenia 2003 and selected for the Cine’fondation competition of Cannes Film Festival 2003 for his direction. |
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A
six French films from French speaking countries, namely France,
Belgium, Switzerland and Canada, together with four Sinhala films
from Sri Lankan film directors, who are connected to France through
their films will be screened at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from March
17 to 21. 