A fresh wind for cinema
“Sulanga Apa Regena Yawi” (The Wind Beneath Us), the debut direction of young filmmaker Nuwan Jayatilleke will have a special autumn screening with director Q&A session on October 16 at Munich in Germany. The film has already won rave reviews and travelled around the world.
In April it won prestigious Remi Award’ from the 49th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival 2016. More than 4,500 entries had received from 37 countries for this year’s festival which is one of the oldest and largest film competitions in the world.
‘Sulanga Apa ragenayavi’ has also selected to 18th London Asian Film Festival 2016 and competitive section of the Cinekid screening club in Netherlands. It was screened at Cinema Di Ringhiera in Italy, Cinema De Mando in Rome, and Indian Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia. Interestingly in a rare feat the film has been selected to be sold in the European film market conducted annually by the European Children’s Film Association.
It will also be screened at the Toronto World International Film Festival, and hold special shows in Munich in Germany, Verona, Brescia and Milano Italy, Sidney, Perth and Melbourne in Australia.
The film is a maiden production of Maya Navagattegamam the daughter of versatile writer and playwright Siman Nawagattegama. The screen play of the film is by Nuwan himself. The executive producer of the film is Vimukthi Jayasundara. This is also an independent film done on a tight budget was shot in around 15 days.
The film features child actors and actresses Sudam Katukitula, Praveen Katukitula, and Semini Hennayaka,and popular actors and actresses including Irangaani Serasinghe, Priyankara Ratnayaka, Suranga Ranawaka, Sampath Jayweera, Anjana Premaratne, Sujeewa Priyalal.
The film begins with the images of a travelling caravan, set against the dawn of a new day, where goods are trans-ported from a rural village to the nearest city. Vihanga and Kasun, latter being the youngest of two brothers, live in this rural backdrop, among the rivers, forests, and misty mountains. Their family’s economy is entirely relied upon a white bull named “Sudda” which is used to transport goods.
However two strangers from the city arrive in a truck to this isolated village, and steal Sudda in order to take him to a slaughterhouse in Colombo.
