Breaking the artificial barriers

Uplifting Sri Lankan cinema to universal heights :

Interviewed by Ranga Chandraratne

Q: You have been presented with a Presidential Award for your contribution to the field of cinema in Sri Lanka, for bringing in over 100 foreign films and commercial productions and thereby providing employment and on-the-job training for local technicians and artistes. What is your comment on the Award?

A: It is always nice to receive any type of award and it is also a good feeling to be appreciated. In 1980, we brought the MGM film 'Tarzan the Ape Man' and built up a team which culminated in the production of Deepa Mehta's 'Water', which, as you know is nominated by the Academy Awards Committee, in the category of the 'Best Foreign Language Picture'.

Q: Speaking about 'Water', how is it that a foreign film in the Hindi language is nominated as a Canadian film?

A: There are many factors. One of the primary factors is that the picture was financed by a Canadian Institution. Usually, a foreign picture from a foreign country should be in the national language of that country.

Harrison Ford and Chandran Rutnam on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple Doom was shot in Hantana,Sri Lanka in 1983.

Director Steven Spielberg and Production supervisor Chandran Rutnam on location in Sri Lanka during the filming of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom starring Harrison Ford and Kate Capshaw, a Lucasfil UK production and a Paramount Pictures release.

However, this year, the Academy changed its rules as a result of globalisation and multi-ethnic communities in most countries, that a film from foreign countries could be in any language, other than English. So, this is the first instance and we were fortunate enough to be able to reap its benefits.

Q: What do you mean by benefits?

A: We, Film Location Services, have certainly proved to the world that we could mount any international film. We have done it so many times and our ability has come into focus by the Academy Awards Committee.

Q: What are the other famous films that your company has serviced or produced?

A: First of all, I think it is important to describe what we exactly do with a film production.

Although there may be other producers of a film, when the film project is mounted in Sri Lanka, our company plays the role of the 'Line Producer', so the Line Producer, whether it is myself or the company is responsible for all the production elements and the coordination and the actual implementation of the film making process, while on location in Sri Lanka.

In the past, there have been some films that were filmed entirely in Sri Lanka. Therefore, we cannot say that this is the first time that a film, filmed entirely in Sri Lanka was nominated for the Academy Awards.

In 1957, David Lean's 'Bridge on the River Kwai' which was 99.9% filmed in Sri Lanka, (with only one shot of a vulture in the air, shot outside) was nominated for numerous Academy Awards and ended up winning seven (07), including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.

The other encounters of our company with the Academy Awards was in 1992, when the French film, titled 'Indochine' was shot in Malaysia and serviced and line produced by our company, Film Location Services, was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category and went on to win the Oscar.

Also, another well known film, 'Indiana Jones' and 'the Temple of Doom' went on to win a few Academy Awards in the technical categories.

Q: What is the benefit that you will get if 'Water' wins the coveted Oscar?

A: It is not a matter of what I will get. It is a matter that has already gained recognition by the Oscar nomination, showing to the world that Sri Lankan technicians and Film Location Services are capable of doing international films and that it is safe for international filmmakers to shoot their films in Sri Lanka and that in effect will influence the Tourist Industry, as more tourists will feel that, if it is safe for a film to be shot in beautiful Sri Lanka, it is certainly alright to spend a vacation in the Island.

Q: What is your participation in 'Water'?

A: As I said, our company Line Produced the film and were responsible for every aspect of the production and also retained the rights for the release of the film in Sri Lanka.

This film had the most successful run of the year at the Majestic cinema last year. We plan to put the film out on DVD format, so that the public will be able to own and watch a legitimate copy of the film, unlike the pirated copies that are being sold today.

Q: The child actress Sarala is getting a lot of publicity. Can you tell us about her and who discovered her?

A: Well, it is very interesting that I read numerous stories in the papers of various versions. But the actual fact is that my partner, the late Mr Asoka Perera sent scouts out and photographed some young girls from various schools. Having seen the pictures, Deepa and Asoka shortlisted five (05) girls.

Of the five, Asoka went down to Galle with a video camera and he himself acted out a scene with each girl and brought the video to Colombo for Deepa to see. The first one Asoka showed her was Sarala and Deepa immediately said that she had found the girl and asked Asoka to bring her over to Colombo. So, I should give great credit to Asoka who was the discoverer of Sarala.

At the President’s House, after the Presidential Awards Ceremony. From left to right: Asoka Perera and Chandran Rutnam, producers of the Best Picture award winning film Theertha Yathra, Neeta Fernando, Nanda Malini, Her Excellency the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, the Director of the film Vasantha Obeysekere, Honourable Minister Sarath Amunugama and Sumithra Peiris

Anton Wickremasinghe, Chandran Rutnam Alfred Hitchcock at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles

William Holden and Chandran Rutnam while shooting Bridge on the River Kawai

Q: There is some controversy about the credit of the Art Director of this film. Can you tell us what it's all about?

A: Well! the famous saying 'Success has many fathers and failure is an orphan' applies here. It must always be remembered that whoever gets credit on the screen will always prevail. No matter what the arguments are.

In this case, along with Dulip Mehta, the credited production designer, there were numerous others who gave their talents to the building of the sets.

The actual designer is an un-sung hero of many of the films shot in Sri Lanka. He is a Sketch Artist and was the Set Designer on 'Water'. His name is Senaka Navaratne. Along with Senaka, Lal Harindranath, Errol Kelly, Welegedara Ranasinghe and Sunil Wijeratne have all played an important part in the construction of the sets, under the construction management of Justin with props by Sunil Premaratne and Lal Dissanayake.

The reason I mentioned these names is because this controversy has gone too far and has become distorted. I also feel that all these talented people should be given honour and recognition of their individual talents in each category, along with other technicians and stuntmen who have been neglected.

Q: What are your future plans? What are the films you are planning?

A: As far as Film Location Services is concerned, we have four (04) prospective projects on the pipeline. We are negotiating with the American Producer to film 'Ashes to Ashes' on a location in Sri Lanka, instead of India, where the story is set. We have done that before with 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' and 'Mother Teresa' and in numerous other instances.

We are also discussing a U.K. based film to be shot here, which is set in Cambodia and the third film is an Asian film titled 'Gobi the Thief' to be shot partially in Sri Lanka about the industrial espionage and theft of hi-tech computers and sensitive privileged information.

The fourth film is a new project, which I do not want to discuss at this time.

Q: Mr Rutnam, how about your personal plans?

A: Well! I have just revised the script of 'The Road from Elephant Pass', from the Gratien award winning novel by Nihal de Silva, which makes the project even more powerful. We are in pre-production and hope to complete the film by June 2007.

Q: What are your views of the future of the cinema industry?

A: I think, we have come to a very important stage of the international film industry. The international industry is advancing so fast and we Sri Lankans will have to gallop to catch up with it. The concepts and technologies and the mass audience and their perceptions and desires have changed to a great extent.

The famous American Director, Sydney Lumet, has shot his new film with hi-definition digital technology and swears by it. These world trends will have a definite impact on the Sri Lankan cinema. We will be able to produce films at a lower cost.

Lower in the sense, when you look at a budget of a Sinhala film, raw stock, becomes one of the major elements in the budget. If we can eliminate this, it will encourage new local filmmakers to launch film projects in the future.

Q: How about distribution?

A: The method of exhibition and distribution of films is also changing with the new technology.

A company, Global Film Marketing (Pvt) Ltd. has been established by Mr Navin Gunaratne and myself. This company in partnership with the National Film Corporation will provide digital project equipment to many cinemas in the Island.

We have been very fortunate that we have the Chairman of the National Film Corporation, Mr Ashoka Serasinghe and the General Manager, Mr Saman Weeraman, who have the vision to go forward with new concepts of exhibition and production which is changing and reviving the film industry throughout the world.

In our digital projection concept, you will find that the picture is crystal clear. You will have no film copy printing charges. You will have no transport/freight charges.

You will have no scratches on the projected image. We will be able to show the film at many centres to a mass audience simultaneously, enabling the theatre owners to exploit the national publicity for the film at that given time.

The film should be in and out of the theatres, having recouped the maximum potential. We will have the official DVD out in the video stores before the pirates and therefore protect the revenues that belong to the producer, distributor and exhibitor.

We have already had one demonstration at the new National Film Corporation cinema on the 22nd of January 2007 and will proceed to introduce this system to any cinema owner, who is interested.

As I said, when the producer recoups his monies immediately, it will change the economics of the Sinhala Film Industry and thereby attract new producers and entrepreneurs to the industry.

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