A glimpse of Commonwealth cinema
View(s):In parallel to the preparation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2013 in Colombo, a film festival featuring cinematic creations representing some of the Commonwealth nations will be held from November 6 to 12 in Colombo.
A scene from the British film ‘Shell’
Starting with a special screening of award winning Sri Lankan film “Sam’s Story (Sameege Kathawa),” directed by Priyankara Vithanachchi on November 5, the festival for the public will kick off from November 6 with two films on every evening till November 12 at the National Film Corporation Theatre.
The festival features films from Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Seychelles, Bahamas, United Kingdom, Lesotho, Kenya, India, Tanzania, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
The festival will start with the Malaysian movie ‘Bunohan’ (Return to Murder) directed by Dam Iskandar Said at 3.30 pm on November 6. A kickboxer, a businessman, and an assassin. Estranged brothers fight for their lives in a dark web of deceit, regret and murder.
Bangladeshi film ‘Ghetu P Komda’ (Pleasure Boy Komola) directed by Humayun Ahmed will be screened at 6.30 pm on Nov 6.
Awarded as the Best Feature Film at 3rd Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival 2013, the film narrates around a teenage boy who is hired along with the music group of his father by a Zamidar (landlord) for entertaining him until the annual flood is over in the Haor region of East Bengal.
‘Insaaf’ (Justice), a Maldivian film written and directed by Yoosuf Shafeeu will be screened at 3.00 pm on November 7. The film depicts a young boy who witnesses a gang fight in an island and agrees to testify against them taking a massive risk on his own life.
On November 7 at 6.30 pm the festival will showcase ‘Destination’, a 9 minute documentary from Zambia and Singapore feature film ‘Sandcastle’ directed by Boo Junfeng. A gentle and affectionate study of the themes of identity, history and memory, Boo Junfeng’s debut is a loving portrait of a young man coming to terms with the lives of his parents and his grandparents, while trying to make sense of Singapore’s troubled history.
Pakistani film ‘Ramchand Pakistani’ directed by Mehreen Jabbar will be screened at 3.30 pm on Nov 8 while Australian film ‘Satellite Boy’ directed by Catriona Mckenzie will be screened at 6.30pm. In ‘Ramchand Pakistani’, a seven-year -old Pakistani boy and his father belonging to the untouchable Hindu caste accidentally cross the border and spend years in an Indian jail while the mother on the other side is clueless as to what has happened to them.
‘Satellite Boy’ which won “Special Mention” at the prestigious Berlin International Rim Festival 2013, revolves around Pete who is 10 and lives in the outback with his grandfather in an old abandoned outdoor cinema.
South African film ‘Pan Fourie’s Lobola’ directed by Henk Pretorius narrates around the complications that ensue when an Afrikaans man and Zulu girl fall in love, especially when the traditional custom of “lobola”, or dowry, makes things even more difficult for them. It will be screened at 3.30 pm on November 9.
New Zealand film ‘Whale Rider’ directed by Niki Caro will be screened at 6.30 pm on Nov 9. A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.
The film screening for November 10 will start at 3.30 pm with a 15-minutes promotional documentary on Seychelles. It will be followed by another documentary film on the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the Bahamas tittled ‘Womanish Ways’ directed by Marion Bethel and Maria Govan.
One of the greatest filmmakers of Asia Satyajit Ray’s ‘Sonar Kella’ (The Golden Fortress) representing India will be screened at 6.30 pm on Nov. 10. Based on Ray’s own novel, ‘Sonar Kella’ is one of the most enduringly popular Bengali films and is still shown very regularly on TV.
On November11, a 25 minute documentary on Lesotho ‘Discover Lesotho’ a will be screened at 3.30 pm and it will be followed ‘Ni Sisi’ a Kenyan film directed by Nick Reding . British director Scott Graham’s debut drama ‘Shell’ will be screened at 6.30 pm on Nov 11.
The film is about a Scottish teenager growing up in an isolated petrol station with her farther. She faces adolescence without her mother, who ran away when she was four.
The final day, November 12 will showcase Tanzanian film ‘Chungu’ directed by Kimela Billa at 3.30 pm. Being greedy, especially in politics is unacceptable, Shemtoi wants to contest to be a councilor but frightened by Mama Sheki’s influence who is well accepted by her community.
The festival will be over with Sri Lankan film ‘Sameege Kathawa’ (Sam’s Story) at 6.30 pm on Nov. 12. The film festival is organised by Subcommittee on Social Programme for CHOGM in association with the Mass Media and Information ministry and the National Film Corporation.
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