A new look documentary
Honest portrayal of the country
An island of many names
Cinema stamps at long last
A new look documentary
Tissa Abeysekera likes to be different. He believes in doing something
new. That's why we wait eagerly for any new creative work of his. He has
tried to do something different in his latest creation,- 'The Sun &
The Moonstone', a 40 minute documentary produced by the People's Bank to
commemorate 50 years of Sri Lanka's independence. Tissa says it's the result
of "an honest effort to go beyond the surface of what one would see
and hear as he or she moves through Sri Lanka". Has Tissa succeeded
in his attempt? The answer is "yes and no".
Visually the film is beautiful. The close-ups, in particular, are well
done. Certain shots, like those of the Polonnaruwa Gal Vihara, are memorable.
The quick cuts and the tempo of drumming and dancing convince the viewer
of the vibrant nature of our traditional dance forms. But viewed as a whole,
something is lacking. Possibly we are used to the 'traditional' documentary
where places are identified, interesting tales are re-told and we are taken
on a planned tour, so to say.
Tissa talks about the challenge he faced. "Film is surface reality,
only what the eye sees and the ear hears. How could the film camera go
beyond this physical reality to lay bare the inner essence of a subject?,"
he asks. He confesses that having travelled extensively throughout Sri
Lanka and studied the country's heritage so closely, he carries that past
with him wherever he goes, as his personal baggage. "The landscape
of this country, the monuments of its past, the voices of its people both
in speech and song, the subtle nuances in their moods and manners, create
strong emotions with me," he says. That's what he has tried to capture
in 'The Sun & The Moonstone' which he presents in four parts - Sun,
Rhythms, Rainbow and Moonstone. I couldn't really see the need for such
a separation.
Tissa's usual creative team has worked with him. The touch of photographers
M. D. Mahindapala and K. A. Dharmasena and musician Harsha Makalanda are
very much there in 'The Sun & the Moonstone'. Harsha's rendering of
'Danno Budunge' on the flute still haunts me. Sound mixing could have been
better. When the 'Goyam Kavi' was being sung, one could hardly follow what
commentator Anthea Peiris was saying. Or was it the fault of the sound
system in the hall at Trans Asia hotel where the preview was held?
Honest portrayal of the country
The film is expected to be used extensively abroad to create a good
image for Sri Lanka. The scars of war have been included at the end of
the film to 'shock' the viewer and give an idea of the wanton damage done
by the terrorists.
Explaining the objective in producing a documentary of this nature,
the Chairman of the People's Bank, Dr Gamini Fernando points out that in
their contacts with Sri Lankans abroad, as well as visitors to the country
and the diplomatic community, they realised there was a dearth of good
material providing an honest portrayal of the country. "This need
was brought into sharper relief by the insidious campaigns conducted by
anti-national elements to create an impression unfavourable to the country.
We sincerely believe that 'The Sun & The Moonstone' will contribute
in some measure towards reversing this situation, especially abroad,"
he said.
Discussing the need for the private sector to promote the arts, he says
that such investments in culture should be relatively free of the profit
motive. "The return on such investments has to be viewed not in monetary
terms but in the qualitative improvements in life of the communities where
such creative activity takes place."
In pursuing this policy, he claims that the People's Bank has been the
biggest single financier of Sri Lankan films. The Bank has also sponsored
other creative efforts in the form of books, musical productions and stage
plays.
As for 'The Sun & The Moonstone', those interested in getting a
copy should contact the Marketing Manager at People's Bank head office.
An island of many names
In an introductory note to the film, Tissa Abeysekera mentions the many
transformations the island's name had gone through in a period of time
covering nearly three millennia.
From 'Taprobane' of the Greek cartographer Ptolemy, to 'Serendib' in
the tales of the ancient mariners, and 'Zeylan' of the intrepid sailors
of mediaeval Araby, and through 'Ceilao' of the Portuguese chroniclers,
the island became 'Ceylon' under the British empire, before it adopted
the traditional name 'Sri Lanka' by which it was always known to its people.
Cinema stamps at long last
Three weeks ago, this column referred to the undue delay in releasing
the stamps depicting the arts which the Philatelic Bureau planned to mark
the Golden Jubilee of Sri Lankan independence. At last, the ones on cinema
have just been released.
The release of these stamps coincided with the opening of the SAARC
Film Festival that is currently being held. Talking of the SAARC Festival,
the Indian Cultural Centre has announced that Indian participation at the
Festival will be by way of three films representing contemporary cinema,
a retrospective package and a host of documentaries and short films.
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