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‘Samanala Thatu’ a children's film? His latest direction Samanala Thatu (Butterfly Wings) now showing on EAP circuit too was publicized as film more suitable for children. But many parents have raised queries needing to know to what extent this film could be considered a children's film or a film suitable for children. While filmgoers from different walks of life have appreciated the film, there were number of views and film reviews written about the damage 'Samanala Thatu' 'could have on the children. The trailers of this film were screened over the big screen and television for a long time as a film specially meant for children. But many have questioned as to how this film could be promoted as a film suitable for children? The controversy started with regard to certain scenes, in which the main child actor is taken to a foreigner by a broker promising him help buy a bicycle. It is shown that the child was left with the foreigner, who gives 100 dollars and later we hear the child screaming. A minor employee, a room servant, who has duplicate key hears this and opens the room and the child rushes out of room without a stitch on his body. He runs around the hotel and later comes to a public street from where he gets a trouser from a street vendor and runs away. Could this scene be used in a film released for children and take the publicity advantages of a children's film? Didn't the director have any other way to show and highlight a paedophile? If a child in his/her innocence was to ask his/her parent the significance of that scene wouldn't the parent be discomfited and embarrassed in giving a plausible answer? Asked about this from the film the filmmaker Somaratne Dissanayake said that he used the particular scene deliberately to create awareness among the children about the dangers that they have to undergo. "In order to protect the children, they should be educated so that they would not go anywhere with people whom they do not know. If a child questions a parent, without going into detail the parents can convey to their children that something dangerous and immoral was happening inside the room", said the director. "On the other hand I don't think that a nude body of a child in a film would give a bad impression to any one but rather a sympathetic feeling," Mr. Dissanayake said. Even though there are one or two out of the hundreds complaints the film had been praised by many religious personalities including monks and priests and teachers and principals who bring children to see the film. Former Chairman of the National Child Care Protection Authority, Professor Harendra de Silva who had done quite a lot of research and even films relating to create aware among children of child abuse said that he had not seen the particular film but said showing a naked child to educate a child could be a very serious issue. According to the law showing such exhibition could amount to pornography which is against the law. "It is not necessary to show naked children as most of the children who are in the areas where there is children prostitution know about it," Prof. Harendra de Silva. "I have done a number of documentaries on this issue and one has to be very careful when handling such sensitive issues. If somebody wants to educate children through a film he has to show the adverse effects, how he would in return abuse another child and how social diseases that could become," Prof. Harendra described. Prof.
Savitri Goonesekere legal expert and former chancellor of the Colombo
University pointed out that this was not only bad for children who
see it but is also a violation of the rights of the child who was
used for the particular role. Explaining that the scene where a child screams from a foreigner's room and runs out nude is a serious issue Prof. Gunasekara questioned, "I can't understand how this particular scene has not been censored by the censor board,". However Ms. Goonesekere said that she did not watch the film but the scene that she had heard could be against the law. The present Chairperson of NCPA Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne said that for whatever reason children cannot be used for these types of scenes in films. It could be another bad experience for children who are unaware of anything about child prostitution. There seems to be legal grounds to challenge the filmmakers. Dr. Wijemanne said that the film is already under the scrutiny of the NCPA and three representatives have been sent to see the film. They are from the psychological, legal and media units of the NCPA and they will study the emotional angle, legal viewpoint and media aspects with regard to the suitability of the film being for children. "On their reports further action would be taken," Ms. Wijemanne said. A film critic and one of the censor board members who had objected even to the trailer of the film being shown, Ajith Galappaththi said "Having gone through the trailer of the film I raised objection with the Board regarding certain scenes in order to stop the trailer until proper legal approval was taken". But the film as well as the trailer continued without any interference from the Censor Board," claimed Mr. Galappaththi. Responding to a question the Chairman of the Public Performance Board, Somaratne Balasuriya said just because a few children form part of the cast, a film cannot be called a children's film. There are certain criteria for a film to be called a children's film. "However
if a film that is not released as a children film is given publicity
as a film more suitable for children in order to gain financial
gain it is wrong," Mr. Balasuriya said. ‘The film Samanala
Thatu was not released as a children's film and it cannot be promoted
as a film that is more suitable for children." |
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