When the love of a Saint draws devotees from here and across the Straits
The International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) will premiere its latest documentary, ‘The Saint of the Islands’ on Saturday, March 28 at 4 p.m. The 72-minute documentary, directed by Anomaa Rajakaruna, will be screened at the Tharangani Theatre of the National Film Corporation, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7.
The film explores the shared devotional traditions surrounding St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of sailors and fishermen, against the backdrop of the annual feast on the island of Kachchativu. In Sri Lanka, devotion to St Anthony often crosses religious and cultural boundaries, bringing together different communities that unite across practices of prayer and veneration. At the centre of the story is the annual gathering of devotees from Sri Lanka and India at the St. Anthony’s Shrine on Kachchativu, located near the maritime border between the two countries. Thousands of devotees brave the rough seas, and arrive by boat from both Sri Lanka and India. This year almost 12,000 people gathered on the island during the two-day feast.
Religious tradition: Worshippers at the annual feast
Filmed during the annual feast and on the nearby island of Nedunthivu (Delft Island), the documentary reflects on the intersection of faith, livelihood, and geopolitics in the Palk Strait. Kachchathivu itself is a small, uninhabited island that remains deserted for most of the year.
Nedunthivu, one of the northernmost inhabited islands of Sri Lanka, known for its distinctive landscape, coral-stone architecture, and long maritime history, serves as an important point of departure for pilgrims travelling to Kachchativu.
The Saint of the Islands is part of a film series on cultural confluence developed by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies. The first film, Whispers Beneath the Tree, was released at ICES on March 11 to mark International Women’s Day. The series follows a roadshow format in which each film begins with a journey undertaken by a different mode of transport, reflecting the movement of people, ideas, and traditions across landscapes, communities and religious traditions.
Anomaa Rajakaruna is a Sri Lankan filmmaker, photographer, and film festival curator, whose work explores themes of social justice, human rights, gender, and cultural identity. With a background in documentary and experimental filmmaking, she has screened her work internationally and is known for giving a voice to marginalised and underrepresented communities.
More information can be found on the ICES website, www.ices.lk or by emailing uvini.ices@gmail.com
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