Cultural DIARY

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King coconut oil, Pirith Nool and Pirith Pan prepared after reciting the powerful Ratnamali Piritha (spiritual stanzas) over 700,000 times are distributed free at Sri Piyaratana Vihara, Dehiwala ( close to Dehiwala zoo).

These stanzas extolling the virtues of the Triple Gem which had been used to invoke blessings on King Dutugemunu for his victory, have been written according to special tone patterns (Ghana).

For further information call: 0723435933.

Anura Goonesekera memorial lecture

Prof. Wimal Dissanayake

Prof. Wimal Dissanayake will deliver the Anura Goonasekera Memorial Lecture on Friday, June 17 at 5 p.m. at the University of Kelaniya auditorium. The title of the lecture is 'Communication and Postmodern Theory.: A View from Asia'. This is organised by the Asian Media Information and Communication Center in Singapore ( AMIC) in collaboration with the Department of Mass Communication of the University of Kelaniya. Prof. Dissanayake is regarded as an international authority on both postmodernism and Asian theories of communication.

Neidra and Jehan take centre stage on “Celeb Chat”

Thespian couple Neidra Williams and Jehan Bastians take centre stage on CSN’s “Celeb Chat” at 09.30 pm tomorrow with host Kumar de Silva.

Listen to them wax eloquent on their deep and abiding love for the theatre with all its unforgettable incidents, its ups and downs, its make-up and mayhem and magic ... and all that goes to make them ‘tick’ the way they do.

REPEAT : Tuesday June 07 at 8.00 am.

You can catch Celeb Chat on CSN on UHF 22, Channel 75 on Dialog TV and also on PEO TV.

Launch of ‘Lester James Peries and Sumitra Peries Foundation’

Dr. Lester James Peries

Sumitra Peries

Celebrated Indian film maker, Padma Vibushan Dr. Adoor Gopalakrishnan will be the Chief Guest at the launch of the "Lester James Peries and Sumitra Peries Foundation” at the BMICH on Thursday June 9.

The event has been organised to co-incide with the Diamond Jubilee of Dr. Peries winning his first ever international award and, the Golden Jubilee of Mrs. Peries’ entry into cinema.

At the same event will also be the inaugural "Lester James Peries Oration" which will be delivered by Prof. Wimal Dissanayake, Professor at the University of Hawaii and Honorary Professor at the University of Hong Kong. The title of the oration will be "Sinhala Cinema and the Social Imaginary : The Work of Lester James Peries”.

The Foundation which is being incorporated by an Act of Parliament plans to work towards the establishment of a ‘National Cinema Archieves’ in Sri Lanka and to promote children’s cinema in the country. Its trustees are Dr. Lester James Peries, Mrs. Sumitra Peries, Mrs. Gayathri Mustachi, Yadamini Gunawardena and Kumar de Silva

'Tropical Amsterdam'

Tropical Amsterdam, a documentary will be screened at the Goethe Institute on June 8 at 5.30 p.m.

The documentary film 'Tropical Amsterdam' explores Dutch heritage and the Dutch Burgher community in Sri Lanka through oral history and personal memories.

Framed and guided by Christmas celebrations at the Dutch Burgher Union and in private homes, we delve into the lives of several elderly Burghers who grew up during the colonial times in Ceylon and stayed on after Sri Lanka became independent.

In a humorous yet critical way the documentary centers on the question of identity, and investigates the paradoxes and contradictions within the Burgher community itself.