Shameera’s dream debut
Wins Gold at SAARC Film Festival 2015 with ‘Motor
Bicycle’, his maiden venture as a director:
In what could be described as a double bonanza, Sri Lank, host of
this year’s spectacular SAARC Film Festival, walked away with the
ultimate prize, the Gold, for Shameera Rangana Naotunna’s ‘Motor
Bicycle’, a heart wrenching story about a young man’s desires and harsh
societal realities.
 The
Festival, held for the fourth consecutive year in Colombo, was organised
by the SAARC Cultural Centre, with the intention of promoting culture in
the region through films, one of the most powerful art form in today’s
world.
‘Motor Bicycle’ beat out 18 feature and short films from the SAARC
member countries, to win the coveted Gold. Bangladesh’s submission
‘Mrittika Maya’ Directed by Gazi Rakayet, won the Silver, while the
Bronze medal was won by Maldivian Ali Seasan, for his film ‘Isaanaa’.
The movie is Naotunna’s maiden venture as a Director and tells the
story of a young musician from the working classes who dreams big, buys
a second hand motor bike and abysmally falls short of his dreams, ending
up as an embittered underworld figure, who has lost everything he values
in life.
“The message I am trying to convey through my film ‘Motor Bicycle’ is
that a suitable environment or society should be created for the
youngsters to achieve their dreams and goals,” says Naotunna, who
believes no youngsters life should be rendered worthless.
The dynamics of the movie is evocatively captured in the mother-son
relationship, which has the main character, identified as Rangana
guilting his mother into handing over her necklace to be pawned, after
her initial refusal, by asking whether she wants him to embrace the life
of a thug. It is also there in the main character’s feeling for the girl
way out of his league.
 Naotunna
claims his personal experience of love scorned had helped him in writing
the scripted. “I was in love with a girl for five years. I loved her
deeply, but she did not respect my love. My true love was a failure,” he
says candidly, elaborating, that unlike in the move he made the failure
a stepping stone in his life to move ahead.
Life’s lessons
“If we fail in something in life or if we are unable to achieve
something in life, we should never be discouraged. Instead we should act
positively. I have bought out this theme in my story through the
barriers I have faced in achieving things in life,” he explains.
Born and bred in the suburbs of Colombo, Naotunna at age 29 is the
youngest Sri Lankan film director to win the Gold. He is overjoyed with
the recognition the movie received and says it is a motivation for him
to do more films in the future.
“When I submitted my film to the National Film Corporation, it was in
digital and of poor quality. I was worried about the quality but I did
not have any options so I submitted it for the competition,” he says,
happy to wake to the realization that many people looked at the story
and the content rather than the quality. “They were happy and they
enjoyed it and I’m happy about it. My aim in life is to do many more
films in the future. I want to become a great Film Director one day,” he
says enthusiastically.
Naotunna, the eldest in a family of three, shares many of the traits
with the protagonist of his movie, in that his father died when he was a
small and it was his mother had bought up the family.
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Motor Bicycle Cast
Producer
- Suranga Jayasooriya
Cast
- Dasun Pathirana, Samanali Fonseka, Malendra Perera, Veena
Jayakodi, Kumara Thirimadura, Kalana Gunasekara, Netale
Nanayakara, Dayadeva Edirisinghe and Dimuthu Chinthaka
Editor
- Tissa Surendra
Cinematography -
Wishvajith Karunarathne
Music
- Ajith Kumarasiri
Make-up artist -
Priyantha Wanninayake
Sound
engineer- Aruna
Priyantha Kaluarachchi |
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Naotunna bio
 Naotunna
has been acting in films since childhood. His first film was
‘Sulang Kirilli’ directed by Inoka Sathyangani. He also
acted in Nikini Wassa and Kusa Paba. After his Advance
Levels he worked as an assistance director with Inoka
Sathyangani. He has always wanted to direct his own film.
‘Motor Bicycle’ is his directorial debut. |
A student at Veluwana College, Dematagoda, he chose Commerce for his
Advance Level Examinations, but says he was much into aesthetics since
he was a kind and loved music, drama and acting. He is very much
thankful to his uncle, Sisira Sarath Kumara who supported him a lot from
his younger days.
Child Star
Naotunna stepped into the performing arts scene as a child star in
teledramas, stage plays and films. But not satisfied with merely playing
a role directed by others, he worked on his own plays, and tasted
success when his first stage play, ‘Allow me to realize My Dream’ was
presented at the Youth and State Drama Festival of 2007 and received
high recognition. Subsequently, he played the role of assistant to many
accomplished Directors turning out many highly acclaimed tele-creations.
Naotunna directed his first short film, ‘Six Miles’ in 2010. It
received special commendation from the jury at the Agenda and State Film
Corporation Short Film Festivals. Thereafter, at the Rupavahini State
Festival it went on to receive the Golden Award for the best short film
of the year.
In 2011, ‘Six Miles’ was entered in the competitive section of many
international film festivals including the 6th International Independent
Short Film Festival in Slovenia, the 6th Cine Fantasy Short Film
Festival in Brazil, 24 Hours Nuremberg Festival in Germany, and the 10th
Third Eye Festival held in India.
This year marks the 68th anniversary of the Sri Lankan film industry
and Shameera Rangana Naotunna’s SAARC Gold is the 189th International
Award to be won by a Sri Lankan.
Reported by Husna Inayathullah
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