Film as a powerful tool of development

By Piyasiri NAGAHAWATTA

The film as an art form and as a powerful instrument had been utilized in various perspectives. Its awareness of the socio-cultural patterns of society - its development as an able agent to put across a message precisely - had their day at several stages of its development. It had been employed at times of peace and times of turmoil by rulers, governments and agencies.

A still from a documentary film

At a moment like this, when the country is emerging out of a 'humanitarian battle' situation it is quite fitting to enlist the support of the film and its personnel to drive in the wanted message through specific cinematic organism. We in an extended period of overwhelming people's mandate, opening vistas of political freedom, to contemplate on other areas (economy - self sufficiency in food etc.) the cineastas are in a way duty bound to address themselves to a sort of national necessity. The areas needing attention, range from bottle necks in the film industry to those of socio-cultural aspects leading up to the economics of supply and demand. At this juncture where our film personnel are celebrating the event - the birth of our film industry, it is most fitting, to explore newer vistas and appropriate experiments.

Historically we are so rich with varied events, heroes and situations, opening to absolute cinematic endeavours. But that happens to be another subject area to be researched and concentrated. In this regard, I wish to draw the attention of the film industry to yet another area of our cinema which has slipped and escaped our care. In the words of Paul Rotha - an authority on the Documentary Film; "The documentary method, as a distinct kind of film, as an interpretation of social feeling and philosophic thought quite different in purpose and form from the entertainment motives of the story film, has materialised largely as the result of sociological, political and educational requirements."

Incidentally, we are also compelled to observe another historical event which, more or less coincides with the history of our Sinhala Film - The Independence Day Commemorations.

Open-air shows

The pre-independent era recounts several incidents by which the 16 mm film people gallivanted the rural areas of the then Ceylon. At first they employed bullock carts to transport themselves with their simple equipments viz. the projector, the screen and the generator. The film session preceded tom-tom announcement with a host of rallying enthusiastic villagers - the first ever film-fan. Usually the traditional tom-tom rhythmic beat - the soothing audio-fare, awakened and aroused the rural folk. To recollect, it was a significant show-piece. Usually the cart was decorated. At incidents of this nature even the very bullock had been given a festive look. Thus the entire occasion showed and displayed a sense of celebration while entertaining and educating the enthusiastic onlookers.

It was also entertainment at no additional cost. The venue - the vast open areas of abandoned fields, just after its harvest, resembled the modern drive-in cinemas. The film shows started with the fading sun and as the environment drew darker and yet darker silhouetted figures of the operator had been exalted to the position of a hero in the rural minds. Thus the penetration of health and education ideas with reference to the malaria epidemic etc. of the pre-independence days went a long uninterrupted way giving fruitful results.

Those types of film shows continued up to post independent era and then beyond for a time-span under the Dept. of Information. That program covered the entire country through film vans attached to different Kachcheries. They carried not only educational, communicational films but also those pertaining to several other areas useful to the masses in the long run.

Mass appeal

Henry Miller referring to film going masses says in his article - The golden age, "ever since its birth we have been hearing that at least an art has been born which will reach the masses and perhaps liberate them." As such, at this historic moment it is purposeful to think of the usefulness of the film van, which became a popular instrument in the provincial administrative set up.

The then Govt. Film Unit which functioned as the supplier of films drew up a tight schedule to cater to the provincial necessities. The requests came from various stratas of the society. There had been several types of state sponsored associations eg. Grama Samvardhana Sabha, Mahila Samithi etc. In addition the religious, cultural, social and political interests got together formed and composed the web of early cine enthusiasts in Sri Lanka. In short almost all citizens were covered or associated at least to one of those associations.

Actually, here it is necessary to emphasize that most of the films shown in our open-air venues belong to the documentary category. Even the news reels shown those days in the film halls, in a way enveloped that category of film-making. John Grierson, the leader of the British documentary movement of the 1930's, called it "the creative treatment of actuality."

It is indeed of much importance to re-think and re-evaluate the documentary and short-film categories which fit on conveniently with present day requirements. However, these power areas have been over shadowed by various undertones of the present day living.

The dominant changes in the post independence era coupled with the gallop of increasing urbanisation in a way harvested this socio-cultural extreme? In this connection Prof. Wimal Dissanayake's comment in Sinhala novel and the public sphere in a way help to explain certain aspects of the then social atmosphere "... increasing thickening of an urban consciousness in the country. This was particularly so in the Western and Southern provinces of Sri Lanka. The improvement of transport, railway lines and roads, connecting the capital and cities in the South, had the effect of bringing the villages into a complex network through which an urban consciousness circulated."

Need of the hour

Turning to another aspect - the urgent need of the day in the fields of socio economics it is imperative to tap these sources - the documentary/the short film. Both these instruments played well in the hands of famous cinematographers. Fortunately we are blessed with such personalities beginning from Lester James Peries (Conquest of the dry zone), Titus Totawatta (Broken blossoms), P. Hettiarachchi (Rhythms of the peoples), D.B. Nihalsinghe (Bhakthi), Tissa Abeysekera (Martin Wickremasinghe) Sugathapala Senarath Yapa (Man and the crow), Tissa Liyanasuriya (Kiri) and a host of others who were winners of international fame.

"Form, in art, is constantly changing as the tools improve and the field widens." (Margarat Kennedy - The mechanical muse), is a fact and the artistry in the medium, the efficiency attached, command a versatility to address the need of the hour.

As it is the celluloid medium and its present counterparts could conveniently be harnessed to achieve our national goals. It happened to be the most fitting tool and the visual medium to unearth, to open-up and widen the vistas of national prosperity.

The unmistaken reality has been the characteristics of the medium. That is why many nations have sought its assistance. "Film is so close to real life, often depicting life itself, or selected slices of life, that authenticity and documentation are inherent in it," says Manoogian in The Film Maker's Art.

On the other hand the making of information films with 'authenticity and documentation' has become a very simple and straightforward exercise because of the many fold facilities available in the industry. Three fourths of our population is virtually rural. Therefore, the rural sector in the country's economy invariably plays a vital role. In the developing countries non-farm and other rural activities have become an important revenue source for the rural house hold.

However, instances show that rural activities are not efficiently handled nor are they utilized for maximum returns. Those who enter such areas of activity are sometimes, freshers or amateurs merely trespassing unknown territories to experiment with, seeking prosperity. In the past it was not so. The socio-economic system prevailed at those times perceived a traditional methodology to find ones way through.

The cultural web of the then village effected a net work of amenities to the villager. Prevailance of 'kin groups' availability of 'exchange labour' were notable characteristics of the then village. The late Ananda Coomaraswamy has peeped into this aspect and identified it as 'guilds' in the medieval Sinhala society. The other factor contributed to the villager had been the low density of population then.

Advantage

A research oriented film exercise could easily be harnessed to our advantage to assist divulgation of information on eco-friendly agro/economic activities. Certain areas of the globe are already making use of such experimentations. Decades ago it was started in India. They are reaping the glorified pastures!

Now, in an anniversary like this, it is quite appropriate to think of re-setting ourselves. It is not only the responsibility of the governmental machinery to seek fresh pastures without solely hanging on to 'yonder cow gracing in better pastures' concept. The citizen whoever he may be, cannot escape responsibility in this regard.