Young talent in search of identity for Lankan cinema
Dulanka Devendra, a young self-taught filmmaker with enormous talents for cinema proved his creative potential with the recognition he has so far received both locally and internationally. His newest short film, ‘Children of White’ was awarded both here in Sri Lankan and in Singapore recently.
The film won the Best Short Film award at the Singapore South Asian International Film Festival 2018 and at the Jaffna International Cinema Festival held last month. In Singapore Dulanka shared the award with Indian filmmaker Mallika Suramanian’s ‘Binodini’.
Produced by Niroshan Welagedara and Udaya Dharmwardhana, ‘Children of White’ was recently screened at the Goethe Institute along with several other Sri Lankan and international short films that were featured at the Jaffna International Cinema Festival.
“The idea for the film was from two authentic incidents that had taken place in Sri Lanka. A pregnant woman who carried out a suicide mission during the war and the news that 11,000 infants were sold to foreign countries for adoption,” said Dulanka responding to the audience which was interested in getting to know more about the theme, plot and the director himself.
“The first incident we witnessed when a female suicide bomber attacked former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. The second incident is that the news that nearly 11,000 children had been sold to foreigners for adoption. Now we see these children, now as adults coming back in search of their biological parents,” Dulanka explained.
Making an international exposure ‘Children of White’ became the official selection at the Monterrey Film Festival in Mexico and it has been selected for the First Nepal cultural international film Festival starting on November 21.
Fascinated by the audio-visual medium, Dulanka did his first short film at the age of 17 years, just after his ordinary level examination. Titled ‘Demawatha’, it was screened at the Sambuddha Jayanthi Film Festival in 2011. Followed his primary education at Lalith Athulathmudali Vidyalaya, Mount Lavina, Dulanka joined St Sebastian College Moratuwa for his Advanced Level. After his Advanced Level, Dulanka made his third short film ‘Messiah’, a story about a young girl.
His third short film, ‘Faded Soul’, a story about female issues and child abuse was selected for Cannes Short Film Corner.
“As a child I was deeply fascinated by the audio-visual medium. At school I produced video presentations for various events and festivals and I started to read and study cinema on my own,” young Dulanka who never attend any film school but learnt the filmmaking on the job said.
At present Dulanka works as a Visual Effects Artist and TV commercial director attached to Sky Entertainment. He works with renowned filmmaker Prasanna Jayakody and a number of well known professionals.
“The interest I had in cinema was doubled when I started working with the professionals. It helped me to learn more on this subject,” he added.
“I strongly feel that we can create our own identity in the international cinema. That would not be art house or commercial cinema but Sri Lankan cinema,” says the young filmmaker whose next big project is a feature length film.
Dulanka Devendra, self-taught filmmaker
“I am in the process of completing the script and even some producers have already agreed to join. It is my duty to start the project as early as possible.
“Internationally we are known as a country that makes art house cinema. With senior filmmakers Prasanna Vithange, Asoka Handama and Vimukthi Jayasundara, in recent history Sri Lanka has been raised to a country which can make art-house movies on par with any international film of this genre. But I believe we could make films devoid of these differences and genres,” Dulanka emphasises.
Dulanka, a fully self-taught filmmaker who learnt the art on the job, when asked where he got his artistic inspiration for audio-visual creations, says with a smile “it could be from my father who is a jewellery designer. He is a good craftsman and designer. I am sure I have inherited it in a different way and express it using moving images,” .
“I am glad about the journey have come so far and I have a humble satisfaction, that at the age of 24 years, I was able to compete with so many experienced filmmakers,” Dulanka says with contentment.
