TV Times

TV Times

Sudath shows his colours in Sweden
By Susitha R. Fernando
The maiden screening of Sudath Mahadivulwewa’s cinematic direction ‘Sudu Kalu Saha Alu’- (Shades of Ash) will be held at the 27th Goteborg Film Festival in Sweden.

The film would be shown on January 29 while the festival would go from January 23 to February 2 and the director Sudath would be participating with the film producer, Dr. Krishan Deheragoda. ‘Having seen a rough cut of the film the organising committee of the festival had decided to offer one of the two chances to participate in the film festival’, said young film maker with confidence over his first directorial attempt.

Sudath who came into limelight with the direction of ‘Wanaspathi’for the mini screen has spent nearly Rs.15 million probably the highest that has gone to make a local film so far.

The film was made using the latest technological sound facilities thus officially becoming the first movie done with ‘Dolby Digital Surround EX’ sound system in Sri Lanka. Asked about the sound system used in the film Sudath said that it is the latest version of the Dolby digital sound system.

“We decided to use this technology even with financial difficulties as it had become a big barrier to send our films to the international film arena. Our films were under rated even without watching them due to their poor technical qualities at the international film festivals and this was commented in on some of the foreign film magazines when our films were screened there,” Sudath told the TV Times. “The particular ‘Dolby Digital Surround EX’ sound system was used to suit the seriousness of the film’s theme and structure”, Sudath said.

Having completed the filming in the setting of a specially built village ‘Kalu Visa Pokuna’, in an interior part of remote Palugaswewa in Anuradhapura, the final touches were given at popular East-Asian post production film studio, Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. While the colour mixing was done at ‘Rainbow’ studio, sound mixing was done at ‘Symphony’ Dolby surround EX mixture and computer effects at ‘Mantra’, digital studio in the Film city with the latest technology.

‘Sudu Kalu Saha Alu’ got the opportunity to do its final mixing with a Harison Digital sound mixing machine, one of the latest equipment used in sound mixing. This is one of the three latest sound mixing machines in the world. Of the other two one in Hollywood and was used in productions like Gladiator, Titanic and Pearl Harbour while the other machine is in Bollywood.

A number of true stories forms the background for the script and it speaks about a topical theme that of the after effects of war. “The people who survived war face the worst repercussions of it (war) and the life is even harder for them than the people who had given their lives during the war,” said co-screen play writer and director, Sudath.

The cast who play equally important roles are Irangani Serasinghe, Sriyantha Mendis, Sanath Gunathilake, Mahendra Perera, Dilhani Ekanayake, Jayalath Manoratne, Rangana Premaratne, Tyronne Michael, Wasantha Kotuwella, Kumudu Nishantha and Dasun Madhushanka Mendis, Koshila Jayawardena and Gunadasa Madurasinghe are new faces.

The film also introduces a professional ‘Sound Designer’ to the Sri Lankan film technical crew in Ruwan Sri Keerthi Walpolage who had earned a name for sound designing in the advertising field.

Experienced editor Elmo Haliday had used digital technology to edit this for the first time and music maestro Premasiri Khemadasa uses the latest Dolby digital sound system. Ruwan Costa whose talent has been recognised with Sarasavi and OCIC awards handles the camera. The English subtitling of ‘Sudu Kalu Saha Alu’ is by Robert Cruze. The film is the first cinema production of ‘Cine Shilpa’.

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