Cinema - savant Lester turns 93

by Kalakeerthi EDWIN ARIYADASA

“Man's capacities have never been measured; nor are we to judge of what he can do by any precedents, so little has been tried.

- Henry David Thoreau

Sri Lanka's cultural annals, scintillate with a galaxy of exceptional and luminous personalities. Individually and collectively, they have woven the warp and woof of the chequered tapestry, that we describe as our distinct cultural tradition.

In the recent decades, an unusually gifted genius continued to imprint his unique creative presence indelibly, on one significant aspect of our indigenous culture.

The cultural facet he innovatively touched, is cinema. The genius we focus upon is, of course, the cinema savant Lester James Peries.

Cultural reawakening

When we celebrate his 93rd birthday, what we in fact do, is honouring a whole era of cultural reawakening. When he introduced his Rekawa (Line of destiny) in 1956, Sinhala cinema, which was nearly a decade old then, seemed to be drifting directionless.

In this context, Lester's unforgettable contribution is the imposing of a professional elegance on the business of film – making in Sri Lanka at that time.

Going counter to the unkempt messiness, that passed for “Film art and film craft” in that day, he enthroned creative cinematic discipline, deposing in the process, the haphazard film – gropings, that prevailed in the pioneering years.

His Rekava was, in effect, a sea change into something rich and strange.

Trail - blazer

His Rekawa was a trail-blazer that illuminated the path of subsequent generations of Sri Lankan film makers, to seek out their own mode of cinematic expression.

Most of those who attempt to assess Lester's role in Sri Lankan cinema, settle for a scrutiny of his works in the public domain.

It is grossly inadequate to judge the substantial achievement of a genius, who dedicated the best part of his mature life exclusively to cinema only through the handful of works he presented to his viewers.

His endless conceptualisations, the preoccupation with details, never – ceasing decision makings, hesitations, doubts, qualities, philosophic musings, multiple views on art, creativity, life and society inter-personal transactions, anxieties, sundry vexations, tensions, joys, pleasures, frustrations and all those complex textures that make up his soul, matter in the proper understanding of the total reality of a genius.

Ultra – sophisticated

In his 93 years, Lester James Peries has garnered treasures of experience, as a keenly sensitive creative individual and as an ultra-sophisticated human being.

There should be some way, we could make an entry into his creative psyche. I do not propose any pragmatic method in which this could be achieved.

Last year the Lester James Peries Foundation was formally launched. Perhaps there could be some way in which the Foundation could go about this humanly important task of profiling the genius.

On occasions like the present, the done thing – the routine procedure is to talk about his films.

Substantial change

Many tend to overlook, that by presenting his kind of film to our viewers, he brought about a substantial change effectively correcting the cinematic tastes of our film-goers.

Lester James Peries, weaned the Sri Lankan film-goers off those soul-searing formula films, and introduced them to a world of quality cinematic works.

While felicitating Lester at 93, one cannot help but feel, at least vaguely troubled by the possibility of mass film tasks plummeting – may be even alarmingly.

Felicitating Lester James Peries could be made the proper point of departure to launch a worthwhile discourse on the fluctuating fortunes of Sri Lankan cinema.

A scene from Rekhawa

Cinema savant Lester is 93. Sinhala cinema is 65. But, there is hardly any provision anywhere, for the indepth study of Sri Lanakan cinema. No initiative has so far been taken to set up a National Film Archives, to preserve our indigenous cinematic heritage.

We must see to it that we never fail those in the younger generations, who have the duty to protect and perpectuate our cinema legacy.

Contrary to the entrenched view, that, those who significantly matter as lofty personalities, who adorn our land and society are not recognised adequately during their life-time, cinema savant Lester has received substantial encomiums .

Lasting tribute

But, to my mind, the most glorious and lasting tribute to him on his birthday, is to initiate a move to nourish our film culture.

If there is a responsible dedication to make a national resolve to launch an effort to define and cultivate an indigenous cinema culture, we can ensure the emergence of a tremendous national cinema. This will have the potentiality to bring back viewers in substantially increased numbers to our film theatres.

Our cinematic creations with have an assured place in the world of outstanding films.

This is a resolve, that will be quite apt as our felicitation of cinema savant Lester on his 93rd birthday.