Cinema energises SAARC ideals

by Kalakeerthi Edwin Ariyadasa

“Entertainment today constantly emphasises the message that things are wonderful the way they are. But, there is another kind of cinema, which says that change is possible and necessary and it's upto you.” - Wim Wenders (1945- ) German film director.

To begin with, a word of felicitation is called for.

Over the years, SAARC cultural Centre in Colombo, has continued to prove a dynamic new player in the field of culture in the SAARC region.

The exuberant discourse that has been initiated by the Cultural Centre, has enabled SAARC masses to come to terms with their own cultural identity and to project their unique way of life to the world, outside their region.

The praiseworthy end-aim of the wide-ranging activities of the SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), is the total enrichment of life.

Emphasis

This explains the special emphasis, SCC places on cinema, which is modern man's universal medium of communication, that can transcend the barriers of conventional language.

The sustained initiatives of the SAARC Cultural Centre in Colombo, have provided a wholesome new interpretation of the role of cinema, as a multi-faceted tool to engender deeper human understanding.

Twenty-eight years ago, seven nations established themselves into the South Asian Association Regional Cooperation (SAARC), to collectively face their common challenge of poverty. (Recently, Afghanistan joined SAARC as its eighth member-nation.)

From early on, SAARC has been distinguished by the unerring identification, by its leadership of the crucial need for almost, daily discussions on the momentous issues they have to deal with. The near-ritualistic talks among those in the higher echelons of SAARC official hierarchy are profoundly impactful in ensuring SAARC's strength and well-being.

Over and above all that, it has always been widely felt, that sustained meetings of the mass minds of the SAARC region are dynamically essential, to see that the SAARC spirit of mutual understanding seeps down into the recesses of the SAARC soul.

In such a context SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo, resorted to a potent ‘mantra’, that they decided was certain to entice SAARC masses, to enter into an into an intimate dialogue among themselves.

The efficient ‘mantra’, they introduced to this humane equation, was of course, cinema.Over the years, the SAARC cultural centre in Colombo, has utilised the film medium as an efficient means, to bring together the people's of the SAARC region, into a cosy communion.

The SAARC Cultural Centre viewed the SAARC cinematic creations, as an instance of SAARC people (Collectively nearly two billion of them) talking to each other, sans inhibitions, utilising a common language currency.

The SAARC Cultural Centre in Colombo, resorts to several formats, in its effort to take to the masses the quintessential spirit of the SAARC spirit.

They established a SAARC Film Day. In this series SAARC countries screen alphabetically according to the name of the country.

This arrangement resulted in an emphatic empathy for those member-nations.

Some of those countries-Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives, for instance, – have not been in the main – stream of film production, as far as countries outside theirs, are concerned.SAARC Cinema, though, has a colossal privilege. Prominent SAARC nation, India is the largest film producer in the world.

But, even in the instance of India, SAARC Cultural Centre, has been able to line of some Indian film products, that have not been viewed extensively by the outside world. The SAARC Cultural Centre, as one of its major cinematic moves, has set up a regular SAARC Film Festival. This has added a fresh zest to SAARC cinema. Each country has to enter films in two categories - feature films and documentaries.

Since, these entries have to reflect their indigenous soul, the film – makers are persuaded to go beyond mere “Entertainment”, and seek a form of cinema, that has the dynamism to change man for the better.

The SAARC Cultural Centre, organises authoritative film seminar sessions too, further enhancing their contribution towards a more sophisticate film culture.

The regular film festival has enabled some of our own works to earn accolades. Over the year, ‘Akasa Kusuma’ and ‘Mouse’ have been among the creations, that earned favourable attention.The SAARC Culture Centre in Colombo has to be felicitated for its effort to usher in an advanced cinematic literary.

Their cinematic events have invariably enhanced the Inter-SAARC Cultural understanding.

SAARC Cultural Centre's, cinematic efforts have enabled a mutual deference for the specific idioms of life and thought, of each nation. This way SAARC cultural centre has energised SAARC ideals through cinema.