Teaching through the cinema
There are various methods of teaching, specially teaching a second language or a foreign language. At a time when teaching and learning an English language at school is a herculean task, a movie now on the run that tells how easy it is to learn a language and teach it while creating an interest in the children. ‘Duwana Muwan’ (A silent violence) is now being screened at 25 MPI circuit cinemas including the Ritz Borella, National Maharagama and Metro Nugegoda.
Story and production by Mano Weerasekara who is famed for his earlier productions ‘Mee Haraka’ and ‘Pasa Diya Gini Sulang Pahasa’, dialogue, screenplay and direction of ‘Duwana Muwan’ are by Indra Weerasekara. The film is played by Uddika Premaratne, Pabhasara Diddeniya, Ferny Roshini, Nilmini Kottegoda, Nissanka Diddeniya, Maureen Charuni, Peter Gunasekara and child actor Kaushalya Nirmana.
“This film is the culmination of my years of experience in teaching English as a second language, personal pedagogical study on this topic, as well as the desire to create an entertaining movie with a difference,” says director Indra who also is an experienced teacher.
The film revolves around Saama, a Sinhala teacher but become a successful English educator with her experimental educational methods. Twenty-five-year old Saama has grown up in an aristocratic family, as an only child. She teaches Sinhala and gets married to Amara who has done his tertiary education abroad. Their only son is Danushka.
Mano and Indra Weerasekara.
The principal of the school where Saama teaches is a Buddhist monk and he tries his best to promote English education and invites Saama to take up English as there is a shortage of teachers. Using her creativity and novel teaching style, Sama does a wonderful job and this surprises everyone. But surprise turns into jealousy and eventually there are bitter protest by a few who detest Saama and her new teaching method. Having realised the ingratitude of some of the school teachers Amara plans to leave Sri Lanka with Saama and the son. She is reluctant to leave the country but what happens when she leaves and what happens to her method makes the story of ‘Duwana Muwan’.
“Though I came up with the theme of the film, it was my husband who with his experience in cinema created an interesting plot around this theme,” Indra, the teacher who turned filmmaker said. The story is woven around an unassuming mother and her child. She recognizes her son is not learning English successfully and so she decided to take the responsibility of teaching her son, a process which turns out to be an education experience for the cinema audience as well.
On the technical crew editing is done by Irusha Gamage, camera Ayeshman Hettiarachchi and music direction for songs by Somapala Ratnayake while Gayatri Khemadasa handles background music.