TV Times

TV Times

U.S. supports young filmmakers
Three new films that focus on key issues facing Sri Lanka had their premiere last Saturday, February 11. The films are the culmination of a program sponsored by the United States that trained 75 aspiring cinematographers from tsunami-affected areas in all facets of filmmaking.

The opportunity for these young people to bring key issues such as a negotiated peace settlement and tsunami recovery into public consciousness through film stems from the idea that balanced information and vibrant discussion of the conflict and peace related issues are critical to advancing the peace process in Sri Lanka.

To that end, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported the National Cultural Forum (NCF) to train the young aspiring cinematographers from diverse backgrounds as a means to examine issues related to peace and conflict in Sri Lanka.

As part of the activity, generated by USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), the youth produced the three short films, which target opinion shapers in the community. The films will subsequently be screened publicly across the three southern districts of Galle, Hambantota and Matara, the homes for all but five of the participants. NCF is exploring the possibility of similar projects in other regions of the country.

Each of the three films examines issues related to conflict or violence within the tsunami-affected South and in one case underscores the role of poverty in this vicious cycle. USAID recognizes the linkages between underdevelopment and violence, and the heavy psychological and social toll of the prolonged conflict in Sri Lanka.

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