Lanka film industry in imminent danger – Arosha Fernando
View(s):Ardent fan of cinema as a child who was grown up in film screening backdrop and expertised in telecommunication Arosha Fernando revealed to the TV times the imminent danger that Sri Lankan cinema industry would face if speedy action is not taken at the decision making level specially with regard change of technology.
Q:What made you to enter cinema?
My grandfather had few film halls and he was involved in film producing . I spent all my school holidays in Ambalangoda where my grandfather has several cinema halls and I grew up with film environment. With this childhood experience I had a dream to produce a film oneday and one and half years ago I produced Nalaka VIthanage’s film ‘Anithya’. While involving in production I want to help the younger generation this is because I observed a gap between a bygone golden era and now. With this aim I will produced Nalaka Vithanage’s second film ‘Rupantharana’ which is scheduled to be released from the beginning of March.
Q: What are the other productions you are involved in right now?
As my fourth production I have produced ‘Guru Geethaya’ based on famous Russian novel ‘First Teacher’. This is the maiden direction by young and promising director Upali Gamlath. It is an extremely arty movie which is completely different to what I have produced earlier. Eighty percent of the film was done in Himalayan mountain range in Nepal and it was a very difficult terrain. Damayantha Fonseka, Roshan Ravindra and many veteran cast involved in the film and it will be sent to international film festival.
After that there are three more films including one directed by Prasanna Vithanage.
Q: As you see what are the quick changes that should take place in local cinema?
As a lover of local cinema I believe the industry should be developed and for that there are some series policy decision we need to made. That should definitely happen soon to save the local film industry. Unless those policy decisions are made the Sri Lankan cinema would not survive after five years. Those decision should be made sooner than later.
Q:Are they your observation?
I don’t take my personal observation only. I meet various people in cinema who had been associating in cinema at different level. Not just from the point of film production but I have been visiting various theatres across Sri Lanka. One of the things that I am currently working on is to bring some overseas companies to set up new theatres here. Right now there are discussion with a Singapore companies to bring 60 brand new theatres to Sri Lanka. We are trying to get land from the government on the 33 year least agreement.
Q:What is your view aboutDigitalisation which is an ongoing issue?
Whether we should go for the digitalisation or not is not a question. At the moment there is only one company which is printing film and there is only one company manufacturing the reels in India and even that will be functioning only till March which is not very far. Whether we like it or not we will not be able make films if we do not go for the digitilaisation. I trust that National Film Corporation will act as a more stronger body taking the leadership in this issue.
The tragedy is that we are the best in telecommunication in the region but we are the worst in film technology.
Q:What is the reason for this? Is it because they don’t understand the gravity of the situation?
I don’t think they don’t understand the gravity of this situation because there had been ongoing discussion on this issue. It is just the delay
Q: If we don’t act what is going to happen?
We won’t be able to see any new Sinhala films in Sri Lanka. I can openly say that and that will really hit out local film industry. Even today we are seriously competing with the Hindi films and English movies. If we don’t have any Sinahal movies we have to supply Hindi, Tamil and English movies. That will have serious repercussion.
Q: You stressed the importance of introducing administrative regulation to Lankan cinema what is your view about artistic regulation introduced through Censor Boards?
My personal view is that there should not be any political interference in these censorship decisions and it should be from the creative point of view. There are films with cultural impact but they have to be handled differently.
I am not talking about the present Censor Board but the people involved in this would have an idea about its commercial aspect of this. They may be good looking at creative side but once you spent so much money if suddenly your film is banned what will be the fate of the producer? We also have to look at the producers. There should be a methodology to safeguard the producer. The issue should have resolved at script level by getting the Censor sinvolved at an earlier stage of the process.