Vimukthi’s ‘Spying Stars’ premiered in South Korea
View(s):Filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara’s newest film, science-fantasy drama ‘Spying Stars’, the France-India-Sri Lanka co-production competed at the Busan International Film Festival recently. The film had its world premiere at the 30th edition of the BIFF on September 23.
Presented by Eleenora Images, House on Fire and the Film Council Productions, Sri Lanka, ‘Spying Stars’ is among just 14 titles selected for Busan’s newly established Competition slate.
The film narrates around a bioengineer Anandi who returns to Earth after years in space, only to be quarantined at a remote mountain resort due to exposure to the illvibe virus rapidly spreading across the planet. The resort boasts picturesque scenery and luxurious facilities, but Anandi detects something ominous from the hidden surveillance cameras, a UFO approaching Earth, and the towns people being taken or killed without explanation. Her guilt and agony intensify when her father’s remains arrive—another victim of the illvibe pandemic. One day, Anandi escapes into the woods and takes refuge with Nita, a resort staff member who had been monitoring her, and Nita’s mom. By connecting with the mother and daughter, who live isolated from the world, Anadi begins to escape her own pain.
Shot in Sri Lanka’s Knuckles Mountain Range, the mysterious satellite and other effects of this 99 minutes sci-fi drama were created by animators in Sri Lanka
“‘Spying Stars’, the latest from Vimukthi Jayasundara, is a sci-fi film set in the near future and a fantasy that paints the world we’ve lost. The director’s signature restrained dialogue and poetic imagery are suddenly interrupted by nerve-wracking sounds, the severing of body parts, and scenes of kidnapping and violence, that heighten tension,” Park Sun Young from BIFF stated.
“At the same time, by interweaving the mysterious ritual of invoking the dead and the recurring image of a turtle’s stroll, the film twists the conventions of the sci-fi genre and invites viewers into a cinematic experience both beautiful and enigmatic,” she added.
The film features Indira Tiwari, Kaushalya Fernando, Samanalee Fonseka, Saumya Liyanage and Hidaayath Hazeer. Produced by Nila Madhab Panda; Vincent Wang (House on Fire) along with production Companies: Eleenora Images, Film Council Productions of Sri Lanka, the executive producers of the film are Nayomi Apsara and Anuj Tyagi. Co-producers of ‘Spying Stars” are Michel Klein, Arfi Laamba and Vimukthi himself. Costumes by Ama Wijesekara, editor is Saman Alvitigala, cinematographer: Eeshit Narain, music by Alokananda Dasgupta, sound designer is Roman Dymny and VFX is by Nuwan Gunarathne.
Developed and completed with significant international backing from leading global funds, reflecting strong industry confidence in its vision, the supporters include Hubert Bals Fund (IFFR), Vision Sud Est and Aide aux Cinémas du monde/CNC (France).
Winning Caméra d’Or at Cannes for his debut feature “The Forsaken Land” or “Sulanga Enu Pinisa” (2005), the first Sri Lankan filmmaker to receive it, Vimukthi’s other films “Between Two Worlds” (2009) premiered in Venice; “Mushrooms” (Chatrak, 2011) in Cannes and “Dark In The White Light (2015) in Locarno.(SRF)
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