‘Wekanda Walauwa’ comes to miniscreen

Dr. Lester James Peries' 'Wekanda Walauwa' (Mansion by the Lake) will be telecast on Friday night film screening at 9.30 pm on the film telecast during the month of May. The film won international acclaims at several foreign festivals including being the including Cannes Film Festival and other International Film Festivals in Cairo, Sao Paulo in Brazil, Palm Springs in California and Goteborg in Sweden and it is the first local production that competed in the Foreign Film category Academy Award.

In the story after a long stay in London, Sujata Rajasuriya returns to Sri Lanka with her daughter Aruni. Her sister Sita, who sacrificed her life to running the family mansion, is waiting for them. In the taxi which takes them back home, they dream of rediscovering the happiness they once had. But what once was is no more.

Based on Anton Chekov's 'Cherry Orchard', script was written by Somawera Senanayake and the stellar cast in the film include Malani Fonseka, Wasanthi, Chathurani, Irangani Serasinghe, Sanath Gunathilake, Ravindra Randeniya and Paboda Sandeepani.

Cinematography is handled by K. A. Dharmasena while Gladwin Fernando edited and Sumitra Peries and Mani Mendis did the art direction. Pradeep Ratnayake did the musical score. The film is produced by Chandran Rutnam and would be released in CEL circuit. In addition Rupavahini will also screen two English movies 'Broken Down Palace' on Friday May 9 and 'Volcano' on May 23 at 9.30 pm.

Going against the grain of many Hollywood movies, 'Brokedown Palace' reflects the uncertainty of life by not having a pat ending with all its loose strings neatly tied together. Directed by Jonathan Kaplan it stars Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale in the lead roles.

'Volcano' is a 1997 disaster action film starring Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche, and Don Cheadle under the direction of Mick Jackson. Los Angeles. It is perhaps best known as the entertainment capital of the world--a sun-kissed golden metropolis of glitz and glamour. To others it represents something very different. Millions more recognize The City of Angels as the unwilling epicenter of virtually every natural disaster--including earthquakes, firestorms and mudslides. Now the city which has become almost a byword for disaster is about to experience its most cataclysmic event ever, one that will ultimately test its ability to survive.