Sri Lankan cinema +66

By Kalakeerthi Edwin Ariyadasa

"The violent effort, which the Sinhala film-producers thought it necessary to make, in order to hang a handful of characters on some trivial peg of a plot, has given us a film-fare, strongly reminiscent of the bioscopic and silent beginnings of the cinema.

Dr. Lester James Peries

... If the Sinhala film were to develop at the expense of Sinhala drama - as it has done hitherto, the people to whom art and culture matter will not find it too happy a prospect... But, it is quite essential that the Sinhala film-makers who have discarded the stage for the screen, should remember that the film requires a technique of handling different from the state..."

Edwin Ariyadasa

(From an article titled "The Sinhalese Film - A wife and Five Puppets" contributed to the Observer Pictorial - 1950).

The 66th anniversary of Sinhala cinema dawned, illumined by the ethereal glow of the long-awaited Sinhala film-epic "Sri Siddhartha Gautama" - the cinematic narration of the sacred life of Siddhartha Gautama. This exquisite film-event, holds an unprecedented promise for the new era of Sri Lankan cinema.

In historical hindsight, we note that the first Sinhala film, that ushered in the tradition of Sri Lankan cinema, was, strangely enough "Broken Promise," released on January 21, 1947.

The processes that eventually led to the presentation of "Broken Promise", as the first-ever Sinhala film, were determined not by creative, artistic or cultural factors but solely by economic and financial considerations.

Back then, the world was still in the throes of the aftermath of a global war. In Sri Lanka (Ceylon then) near-universal employment and war-time inflation ensured a steady flow of cash, bringing in its wake a euphoric sense of sudden affluence. The ever-present threat of death and destruction, inevitable in times of war, though muted to an undertone, unleashed a frenzied indulgence in sensual pleasures.

Entertainment

The most widespread form of entertainment available to the people, was the legitimate theatre. In the new centres of human settlement, called into existence, through the exigencies of the war-effort, the itinerant theatrical companies, received an adoration that seemed to verge on the religious. The Sinhala actors and actresses, who became mass-idols of the day, could not cope adequately with the ever-burgeoning demand for their plays.

In the nature of things, the live presence of a given actor or actress could happen only at one place at one time. In such a context, if the theatre companies were keen to rake in the available shekels in larger quantities, they had to devise a method of multiplying the appearance of these players, so that, they could perform simultaneously at several centres.

The crucial question was, how could this 'miracle' be worked out? Cinema, of course, held the key to the solution of this problem. The proposition was simple: convert the stage-play into its photographed version - and, you get a simultaneous island-wide audience for your "play". This exactly was the thinking that resulted in the birth of Sinhala cinema.

At the height of this preoccupation with the cinematographed stage play-that is approximately during the latter half of 1946 - Sri Lanka did not have even a war on while movie camera - not to say anything about studios or other facilities for the product of films locally.

An artistic and economic pilgrimage had to be made to South India - as that was the film-making location closest to us. And, that was how, on January 21, 1947, "Broken Promise" (Director:B.A.W. Jayamanne) came to be released as the first-ever Sinhala film. While maknig history that way, it became the first, in a series of Sinhala films of South Indian origin.

Technical facilities

The historical necessity that compelled the pioneering Sinhala film-makers to seek South Indian technical facilities and directorial talents, imparted a marked theatrical bias to the first Sinhala film.

Writing in the Observer Pictorial for 1950, under the title "The Sinhala Film - A wife and five puppets" I made my observations of the Sinhala cinema, which was only three years old then. (I must confess though, that the title has a slight trace of cynicism). There I said the following (among other things).

"Seeing the camera utilised merely as an instrument to record events that take place in chronological order, would have been immensely satisfying to the film-goers of the early days of cinema. But today (1950) when cinema audiences get an opportunity of seeing the power the film camera is capable of the only thing that compels one to see these films, is the fact that they are in Sinhalese."

Formula films

It is to the credit of the Sinhala film-goers that he grew weary of this kind of film-fare, within the first decade itself. The people discovered before long, that what was offered to them was neither Sinhala nor cinema, in the real sense.

The individual who endowed a new incarnation on the formula - ridden Sinhala cinema, is of course, cinema-savant Lester James Peries. By common consent LJP is the supreme hero of the 66 years of Sinhala film history.

A scene from Kadawunu Poronduwa

At a celebration, organised by the National Film Corporation, great Lester James Peries, was especially felicitated, as the personality of the 66 years of Sinhala cinema.

Lester James Peries introduced a professional elegance to the business of film-making in Sri Lanka, going counter to the "creative shabbiness" that generally prevailed in that field, prior to the appearance of his Rekawa (Line of Destiny, 1956).

Rekawa was shot almost entirely on location in Sri Lanka, at a time when outdoor shooting was a rare phenomenon both in South India and Sri Lanka. The effort to instil the 'Sinhala feel and the cinematic discipline' into Sri Lankan cinema was initiated by LJP, when he based his films firmly on themes deeply rooted in our native soil.

Enthusiasm

In the enthusiasm to shower praise on LJP, as a pioneer in the indigenous tradition of film-making, many tend to overlook a yet another profound contribution he made to Sri Lanka's cinema scenery.

In the off-quoted phrase - T.S. Eliot, revolutionary poet and aesthetic guru - declared that the purpose of criticism, is the "Elucidation of works of art, and the correction of taste."

Lester James Peries, waged a valiant battle - single-handedly at first - to correct Lankan film-goers. LJP, weaned the Sri Lankan film and engendered in them a taste for quality film-making, that probes the deeper larger of human existence, utilising cinema-art with a telling deptness.

Lester elevated Sri Lankan cinema to global heights. This resulted in the pronouncing of Lester James Peries' name with the same hushed tones, as those of Akira Kurasawa, Satyajith Ray and Ingmar Bergman.

Establishment

In the realm of Sri Lankan cinema, Lester James Peries is decidedly the unassailed "Establishment". In any field, people respond to an establishment in one of two ways.

They may resent it, revolt against it or denounce it. Or else they would adore it, admire it, esteem it or emulate it.

Whatever may be the attitude adopted, a well-entrenched establishment generates the dynamism that ensures progress. No worthwhile discourse on cinema is possible, without Lester's name assuming centre - stage in that kind of colloquy.

Lester James Peries' far reaching influence, began to be felt especially after his Gamperaliya (The Changing Village).

Released in the mid-sixties this symbolised the climactic meeting so far in the history of Sri Lankan cinema, between an exclusively Sinhala theme and an essentially cinematic interpretation. Gamperaliya assumes a special importance for several other reasons as well.

Award

In 1965, it was the "Golden Peacock" from India. This award was a tremendous ego-boost for Sri Lanka's film-psyche. From then on, Sinhala film began to acquire a prestige it did not enjoy earlier.

People no longer felt that they needed to be apologetic about the Sinhala film, like an urban sophisticate about the coarse ways of his country cousin.

Gamperaliya established Lester James Peries, with a distinct "imprint" of his own. He could no longer fail but only fluctuate.

In his 57-year long film career his sustained effort has been to build a cinematic conduit to one heart of Sri Lankan culture.

Many personalities associated with the 66 year-long Sri Lankan cinema history, either as directors, actors, actress and technicians have displayed widely recognised talents.

Progress

In the recent years however, the progress has been uneven both in quality and quantity.

The present chairman is committed to wisher in a new era for Inhalant cinema, privilising the construction of state-of-the-art cinema theatres.

It is essential to build an indigenous cinema culture, that will uphold our cinema works, giving them the same prestige as what we give to our sacred edifices, our hydro-culture, our art now literature and our gentle style of existence.

Building a cinema culture is not equivalent to the creation of film-bufts and gossipy other about men and women of cinema.

It is a much more profound phenomenon, that will lead to the emergence of generation possessing high-well-informed deference for the indigenous film icons. This needs an extensive discourse.

Such a fruitful discourse should be initiated as an outcome of our celebration of 66 years of Sinhala cinema.