Malith’s multi awarded maiden movie releases in March
Malith Hegoda’s maiden film ‘Dekala Purudu Kenek’- ‘The Strange Familiar’, which has already won several awards and nominations at international and local film festivals, will be released in CEL circuit cinemas from March 8. The film will be screened as a gap release at 4.15pm at around 20 theatres including Majestic Cinema, Regal Colombo, Lido Borella, Amity Lite Maharagama, Vista Lite Jaela, Skylite Matara, Osaka Lite Nittambuwa, City cinema Mount Lavinia and New Imperial Kurunegala.
Malith Hegoda (Director) and Boopathy Wickramage (Writer) photo by Nuwan Amaranath
In Sri Lanka, ‘Dekala Purudu Kenek’ won the Lester James Peries award for the Best First Film at the Sarasiviya Film Festival in 2018, The Award for the Most Promising Director-Cinema of Tomorrow at the Derana Film Festival in 2016 and the Jury Award for the Best Debut Feature at the Jaffna International Film Festival in 2015. Internationally, the film was nominated for the Golden Hanuma award at the Jogja NETPAC Asian Film Festival in Indonesia in 2015 and was in competition for the Golden Zenith at the renowned Montreal World Film Festival in 2015 in the First Films Competition in Montreal, Canada.
The film was selected for the prestigious 58th BFI London Film Festival organized by the British Film Institute and it was screened in the “DARE” strand in 2014.The organizers introduced the DARE strand as “In-your-face, up-front and arresting: films that take you out of your comfort zone.” Cary Rajinder Sawhney, an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has introduced ‘The Strange Familiar’ as;
“A brutally honest and gripping examination of the breakdown between an urban Sinhalese couple, exploring the moral and emotional dilemma of betrayal within a marriage. Samadhi Laksiri and Bimal Jayakody give compelling performances as the wounded couple in this emotionally controlled tale that has universal resonances.”It was also screened at the Seattle South Asian Film Festival in the USA in 2015.
The film narrates around an urban middle class couple, whose relationship is falling apart mainly due to misunderstanding. It depicts how their child is affected and traumatized due to this strained relationship. The film stars Samadahi Laksiri, Bimal Jayakody, Jagath Manuwarna, Lakshman Mendis, Chamila Peiris, Kaushalya Fernando, Prasanna Mahagamage, Dayadewa Edirisinghe, Athula Pathirana, Nadee Kamalweera, Ananda Premalal, and Kushenya Sayumi Fonseka.
It was written by Boopathi Nalin Wickramage, cinematography is by M. D. Mahindapala, camera handled by Chinthana Somakeerthi, assistant director Daminda Madawala, art director Manjula Ayagama, make up Priyantha Dissanayake and the music director is Ruwan Walpola. Co-produced by Rasanga Dissanayake, Mohamed Adamaly and Nadira Adamaly, ‘Dekala Purudu Kenek’ is produced by Lal Hegoda and Malith Hegoda.
