Giant stride towards making Sri Lanka a prime film location

The greatest directors in the world have come to Sri Lanka to shoot their films.:

In the tradition of Sir Carol Reed (Outcast of the Islands), Sir David Lean (Bridge on the River Kwai) Steven Spielberg and George Lucas (Indiana Jones), and now India's foremost and prolific director, RAM GOPAL VARMA starts shooting his latest film "AGYAAT" in the jungles of Sri Lanka.

The man behind most of these productions is the Sri Lankan producer/director, Chandran Rutnam who formed the production service company, Film Location Services (Pvt) Ltd. with his partner, Asoka Perera.

Q: How do you bring these distinguished artistes of World Cinema to make films in Sri Lanka?

A: David Lean came to Sri Lanka on the invitation of the producer Sam Spiegel who was introduced to Ceylon by Don Ashton, the Art Director of the film, "Bridge on the River Kwai" Don Ashton: family was running a tea estate in Nuwara Eliya.

Carol Reed, of course came to Ceylon to make Joseph Conrad's "Outcast of the Islands" in the early 1950's. Incidentally, this was one of the first films to be shot in a far away location.

However, I can take credit for bringing George Lucas and Steven Spielberg who were planning the shoot of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in India. I persuaded them to shoot in Sri Lanka. They were very happy with Film Location Services (Pvt) Ltd. In a recent interview, Harrison Ford said that Sri Lanka was the best and most interesting location he has filmed in, and that he had the chance of riding an elephant.

Q: Most film companies are downsizing due to the global recession. What about Film Location Services in relation to the foreign and local productions?

A: After my partner Asoka Perera's demise in June 2006, I had to take over the financial responsibilities of the company. I soon learned that we were top heavy and that there were numerous irregularities with individuals using the company facilities.

Downsizing does not mean the services cannot be provided efficiently. New, young, efficient personnel emerge and take up the duties of others from within the company.

The foreign production companies are mainly interested in the credibility and good reputation of the company they wish to deal with and as professionals, they are able to sense the realities in a short period of time.

Q: How does this affect you and the industry as a whole?

A: Most of these companies are unable to fulfill the necessary requirements of holding and sustaining a production for the full length of the shoot. Some of these circumstances affect the image of the industry and our country.

Q: What about the local industry?

A: The method of making and exhibiting motion pictures throughout the world has changed. The ability to make local motion pictures at lower costs has arrived.

High Definition movie cameras are being used to film by distinguished directors such as Sidney Lumet, who vows to make all his future films in HD.

This of course saves money with the elimination of Raw Stock (film) and the considerable expense of cost of stock, processing printing, editing, etc. Now they could shoot on a hard disc and after the final answer print is obtained, then transfer the completed product to film for exhibition in cinemas that still uses the 35mm projection systems.

Prints will also be made available in digital format to service digital cinemas that are fast emerging throughout the world.

Excellent hard disc movie cameras are available locally, the best and newest camera called RED is now available at some production houses.

With the entry of digital cameras and digital projection, very soon the established cameras that use film will lose its popularity, owing to the economics of film production.

Q: What film projects have you done this year?

A:1. We started with the pre-production of an animal story by a French

Company called "Tapati".

2. We shot our film "Road From Elephant Pass" produced by ABC Films (Pvt) Ltd., partnered by John Shiran Dissanayake and myself. This is now complete and will be shown on the CEL Circuit at the end of February 2009.

3. We did the Sri Lankan part of the Mumbai based story titled "Victory" with a cricket background. With Herman Berjewa, Amita Rao, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahroof, Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas and Ajantha Mendis.

4. South Indian film titled "Kail Villy" with Vyas.

5. South Indian film titled "Silambattam" with S. Sarawanan.

Q: What are the films planned for the next year?

A: We have a good start with Ram Gopal Varma's new film, "Agyaat", followed by a British feature production, to be shot in February 2009.

We will be producing "Living with Hope" along with the award winning actress

Nita Fernando and Yolanda Weerasinghe.

This will take us upto April. It's a good start.

Q: Wasn't Mani Ratnam planning a film in Sri Lanka?

A: Yes, he came on a location scout and had intentions of filming in Sri Lanka, but finally decided to shoot the film in Kerala.

Q: Tell us about Ram Gopal Varma's new film "AGYAAT".

A: Mr. Ram Gopal Varma describes his movie as "India's scariest movie".

The film is about an invisible predator creating havoc among a group of people in an isolated spot. The film is written by Punet Varma and Hari.

"It's about a film crew that loses its way in the jungles. And something out there keeps killing them one by one". Special effects will be used extensively in Mumbai, after the completion of the shoot in Sri Lanka.

It will be shot in the jungles near Sigiriya.

Q: Having worked with the greatest directors in the world, what do you think about Ram Gopal Varma?

A: He is the most active director I've ever known making numerous films a year.

He has won awards and accolades. His most famous film Satya won the first and only Filmfare Award for Best Movie.

His films, "Sarkar Raj", "Satya" and "Company" have given him his rightful place in world cinema.

My favourite Ram Gopal Varma film is "Company".

It is highly stylized and visually stunning with a hard hitting story.

I watched it three times continuously before I started shooting "The Road From Elephant Pass".

Q: How does the director Ram Gopal Varma describe the film he is about to shoot in Sigiriya?

A: "I have always been an incredible fan of the thriller genre where there is an unknown or a known element which is out to kill at random a group of people trapped in a certain situation whether it is Ridley Scott's 'Alien' or John Carpenter's "The Thing". Not to forget the "Blair Witch Project" in which the genius of the concept has gone to the extent of not showing the antagonist at all. I have titled my film based on this concept as "AGYAAT" meaning the unknown.

Thrillers of this kind are a very popular genre abroad, not to forget the success of numerous dubbed one's here in India as well. But as yet no film in the same genre has been seriously attempted with Indian actors with a story designed for Indian audience.

This movie's intention would be to explore that and also would be about the emotional complexities that extreme fear would unleash and how the triumph of human spirit refuses to give in even against impossible odds".